Her
by Chibi Fenrir
Summary: She can only take so much.
1. Part One

Disclaimer: I do not own the Street Fighter series or any of its characters.

Her

Chapter One

It hurt…

It hurt so much more than she thought it would.

Another devastating blow connected causing the young girl to double over, the grimace on her face proof that he caught her exactly where she didn't want him to as she slid backwards into the wall behind her. With slender arms desperately clutching her stomach, Sakura tried her best to lift her head and look at the man in front of her.

He was openly amused at her plight but the grin was overshadowed by the burning red eyes that seemed to look through her. By his vicious glare alone she could tell who he was but the black gi and his destructive aura was more than enough to make her certain that she was dealing with the man some called a demon.

Sakura grit her teeth as she forced herself to stand up straight again. Angry that he was toying with her, the street fighter balled up her fist and charged him with everything she had, "It's gonna take more than that!!" She yelled as she rushed him.

Akuma smirked as her attack neared his face, "Little girl…"

Her eyes widened in shock as her knuckles grazed his face and, in those few seconds, she realized that she couldn't stop her momentum. The opening was more than enough for a fighter that had the experience he did and he showed her exactly how bad her mistake was when it felt like her head was about to rip off her body because of his powerful hook. She staggered backwards thanks to the counter, nearly losing her balance until her back met with the brick wall for the second time.

"My fists show no mercy."

Sakura placed a hand on the wall to keep from crumbling to the ground. Her legs were shaking so much that she could barely stand up. While she didn't know if it was out of fear or because she merely took one punch too many from the man before her, she was certain of at least one thing.

This was a meaningless fight.

She was just walking home from school and decided to take a shortcut today. She went through this alley plenty of times before and never had any trouble aside from how quiet it was. Where did he come from? Why was he here? Those were questions she couldn't answer. She wanted to go home and he was in her way but she didn't have any idea how it escalated into such a brutal fight…

Despite that, it was only now that she realized that this alley was as good as any a place for a fight. It was secluded, silent, and the light of the afternoon sun didn't reach into such a depressing place. What little light she was provided came from the street lights that were just turning on. Either way, if she was going to fight such a person then this was the setting for it.

Sakura spat out a tooth as she pushed herself off the wall and Akuma took his stance again. Even if she didn't have any light, his deadly aura was so thick that it alone could illuminate the alley.

There was no denying it now. She could tell that she was terrified of him. Those piercing crimson eyes, that aura filled with bloodlust, that grave expression that told her more pain was coming… She could make a list as long as she wanted but it wasn't going to change anything.

Even if it was a fight that didn't have a purpose, it was still a fight. Wasn't encounters like this the entire point of being a street fighter altogether? If she couldn't at least see this through then what kind of fighter would she be then?

Still…

Akuma took a step forward and Sakura unintentionally backed into a trash can. The garbage can tumbled over and the contents spilled out behind her. The schoolgirl stared at the garbage that covered the dirty pavement. If she didn't fight then she wouldn't be any better than the crumbled paper and apple core under the sole of her shoe. Who would respect a street fighter who was too scared to do what should be her most obvious course of action?

Sakura used her forearm to wipe away the trickle of blood that came out of mouth as she bravely stepped forward, her once shattered resolve now whole again. The Raging Demon? The most dangerous street fighter? She didn't care who he was or what they called him.

She was going to take him down.

She dashed towards him and ducked under the jab that was waiting for her. Taking advantage of his missed punch, the brown haired girl swept her foot under him and he quickly jumped to avoid the attack.

That was exactly what she wanted him to do.

Akuma's terrifying eyes narrowed as he realized that he fell for such a petty trick but it did little to stop him from reeling back to hit her as she gathered the energy she needed for her strongest attack. His fist was so close that she could already imagine how it would feel to be hit by it and the amount of power she collected was so great that it was starting to sear her hands.

She tilted her head to the side and the punch she barely managed to avoid drew blood even though it missed completely. Unfazed by the fact that it was a chance that such a powerful blow could have outright killed her, Sakura charged forward and drove her palms into his exposed chest, "Shinkuu Hadouken!!" She exclaimed as the powerful blast bathed the alley in a magnificent, soft blue light.

It consumed everything in front of her. The narrow path between the brick and concrete walls was entirely engulfed in a stark blue explosion of pure energy. The walls that flanked the girl were disintegrated but she continued to keep herself steady as she maintained the attack. Slowly, the strongest attack Sakura ever did in her life flickered and died down and she saw the carnage she left in her wake.

Just as she observed before, the old, dilapidated buildings she stood between both had holes large enough to step though and the garbage she was stepping on was nothing but melted clumps of trash and ashes. Sakura looked ahead and realized she could hardly see thanks to the thick cloud of dust in front of her but she was certain that she got him; he couldn't avoid it at that range.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a seat on the ground, her energy completely sapped thanks to what was pretty much her last stand. With a sigh of relief reflecting how she felt about the ordeal, the brown haired girl smiled as she opened her eyes and saw Akuma laying motionless a few feet in front of her, "I… I did it…" She whispered, a childish smile still spread wide across her face as she did what most thought what was impossible.

Out of everyone in the entire world, she was the only one who could claim that she defeated him. Of course, she was aware of the fact that he was taking her lightly but he paid the price for underestimating her. If he didn't use his full strength then that was his fault and he would be faced with that whenever he thought about his defeat.

Abruptly, her body crashed through what remained of the concrete wall. Before she could regain her senses, a hand reached out and grabbed her short, brown locks. Pulling her up by the hair, Akuma drove his knee so deep into her stomach that she thought it was going to come out of her back.

He released her and she stumbled backwards until she fell to the floor on her knees, her lunch threatening to come up as she clasped her hand over her mouth. She didn't have the time to recover before the heel of his foot buried itself in her side causing her to skid across the floor, crashing through the old, wooden desk behind her.

"Such arrogance!" Akuma declared his crimson eyes alive with rage. How dare she believe that she defeated him with merely one attack? She had never been more wrong in her life if she truly believed that he would lose to that. If she wanted to stand a chance then she would need far more than an attack he had witnessed countless times before.

Sakura coughed up blood as she used the broken remains of the desk to push herself off the floor. How could did this happen? That hadoken was so strong that she thought she killed him until she saw his body through the dust. His tattered gi was proof that she landed the attack but it also showed her the cruel truth.

She put everything she possibly could into her most powerful attack and he merely shrugged it off like an annoying question. At least, she was hoping that it would render him immobile but he wasn't having any of that.

The distressed girl barely managed to block the jabs he threw at her and was so caught up in trying not to get punched that she couldn't help but be surprised when she felt his foot being firmly planted in her chest.

She couldn't begin to describe how much it hurt as her back roughly met the dusty tiled floor. Not only was the breath knocked out of her but she had to reach a hand up to her chest to make sure it wasn't a hole there. The approaching footsteps urged her to get up but her body refused to move and, again, the traveling fighter again lifted her by her hair.

He tossed her into the air with ease, his hand quickly returning to his side as he gathered his energy for an attack that Sakura was familiar with. As she fell to the ground, Akuma let go of the hadoken and the purple blast that smashed into her caused her body to crash through the bookshelf positioned in the corner of the room.

Somehow, she managed to get her hand to her mouth just in time to stifle the blood she coughed up but it spilled out regardless. The deep red, a gloomy color darker than that of the eyes of the demon in front of her stained her school uniform and she couldn't bring herself to focus on anything other than the small pool of scarlet on the floor in front of her.

Why was this happening to her? She didn't want to fight anymore. Sakura stared up at the man that towered above her, his shadow looming over her as he glared at the schoolgirl. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, "I… I don't want to fight anymore…" Her weak words came out softly but he made no reply, "Please… I-" She paused to spit out the rest of the blood in her mouth, "I just want to go home!" She yelled, the sharp pain in her side enough to tell her that she shouldn't do that anymore.

Akuma's expression was stern and so were his words, "Pathetic."

He took a step towards her and she used all of her remaining strength to crawl away from him. She already knew it was useless since he was blocking the only exit but, even worse, was the fact that it was cowardly. It completely disgusted her that she became something she so violently hated but this was the first time in her entire life that she was scared to death.

Even a fool could see that he wasn't finished with her, the gleam in his red eyes more than enough to let her know that the fight wasn't over just because she wanted it to end. Her heart skipped a beat as his rough hand wrapped around her thin neck and lifted her battered body off the floor before slamming it into the wall. Pinned to the concrete behind her by a single hand, Sakura could only stare at the face of the man that held her.

This time around he had no words to offer her as he held up his fist and reeled back his massive arm to deliver the final blow but he halted upon noticing something so dismal, so out of place that it bewildered him.

She was crying.

There weren't just teams streaming down her face but she was sobbing loud enough that he couldn't concentrate. The eyebrow that was raised in confusion lowered as Akuma's expression darkened. Even if he sought to utterly crush any fighter that appeared before him, Akuma always held respect for the person that bravely challenged him.

"Please…" She cried, too concerned with surviving to be thankful that his hand was not quite tight enough to stop her from breathing, "P-Please don't kill me!" Sakura managed to say as the tears continued to roll down her face, "Please…"

A street fighter reduced to a crying girl begging to be freed? It was disgusting. She was a waste of time and it was only now that he could tell that she was unworthy as a challenger. Not only did she lose his respect but she was disgracing herself. He would end it quickly for both their sake.

His fingers dug into her skin as his hand constricted around her neck. The fist that he lowered was raised again and Sakura knew that this was it. As he drew his arm back once more, Sakura's mind was restricted to a single thought.

There were no flashbacks or anything of that sort as his fist sped towards her face. Her life didn't flash before her eyes and she wasn't naïve enough to believe she was suddenly going to be rescued.

She was going to die.

Sakura was never a true street fighter like the others. She just liked the trill and enjoyed meeting different people from around the world. Even though she had such a violent pastime, she managed to remain pure and untouched by the dark side of her hobby. Fighting to the death? Submerging yourself in killing to sharpen your skills? The brown haired girl just liked having fun with her friends.

Ken, Dan, and even Ryu were always careful with her no matter how many times she demanded a serious match. It was only in hindsight that she realized that, no matter how much she pressed them, they never dared to throw a serious attack in her direction. Of course they were aware that she was serious about being a street fighter but it was more than obvious that no one considered her a threat.

Could it be that one of the reasons she fought was to be acknowledged? Just so she could get some attention and be known for something other than being an obnoxious girl people liked to ignore?

The fact that she couldn't breathe brought her back to the present and reality finally started to set in. With her clouded thoughts fading away, she realized that this was it. He was going to kill her and then cast her broken body into the darkness of the old building for the vermin to feed on.

"You…"

Sakura heard the voice but was couldn't manage to concentrate enough to hear what was said. Regardless, it was enough to let her know that someone was there and it wasn't hard to figure out whoever it was didn't come to make friends.

Even though her vision was blurred to the point that she could barely see in front of her, she didn't need her eyes to be witness to such intensity. Akuma released her to block the sudden attack, his feet skidding backwards across the floor thanks to the hadouken.

"S-Sakura?!"

Akuma smirked as he teleported to avoid the next blast, a new challenger to face would at least save him from dealing with such a disgrace.

The schoolgirl fell to the floor unable to respond to her savior but she held onto consciousness as long as she possible could. Even that was a losing battle but, as her eyes slowly closed, she could hear what sounded like a real fight. The raw impact of fist meeting each other and the dull sound of attacks bouncing off blocks were something she seemed to only hear when she was a bystander…

She was about to black out but she could still feel the tears pooling under the side of her face. If she could move she would cover her ears, the sound of the fight proof of her own weakness. It wasn't just sparring practice or just friends messing around. It was a true fight and it actually sounded like one but it was only then, as she lay crying on the ground, that she realized that it didn't sound anything like her battle…

0

"Are… okay?"

Her entire body felt heavy and her senses so dull that she couldn't tell exactly what was happening until she opened her eyes. The young girl groaned as her blurred vision started to come together and the figure of the person in front of her became more than familiar.

"Are you okay?" Her savoir repeated softly, his concern easy to note thanks to the tone of his voice. The hazel orbs that were his eyes stared down at her as his hands carefully held her close but Sakura found herself entranced by the ends of the crimson headband that seemed to dance in front of her face.

It was him.

Ryu breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded, "Can you stand?"

He came for her.

The schoolgirl blinked the tears out of eyes and quickly reached a hand up to wipe away any others that threatened to come. She couldn't begin to describe how thankful she was to see him. She had already accepted that she was going to die and he saved her…

"Where does it hurt?"

Surprised by the sudden question, she adverted her eyes away from the man that completely misunderstood… like he usually did. Even though he was one of the strongest people in the world, that didn't at all stop him from being the most naïve person she knew. He could understand the most advanced tactics and even overcome any technique that challenge him but he was all but oblivious to anything aside from fighting.

Could she fault him for completely dedicating himself to his practice and forsaking any distraction? He was just the type of person that preferred to be alone, that didn't mean he didn't have friends or even considered some of them family. Unlike her, he was the real thing. He put everything he had into the fight and valued it all the same.

In looking up at him, she noticed the mark on his face and already knew that it was her fault that it was there. Alas, the look in his eyes told her that taking one or two punches was nothing compared to what she went through, "I think… No, I'm taking you to the hospital."

His words alone gave her the strength to escape from his grasp and somehow manage to stand up, "No…" She whimpered, like a hurt kitten. She backed away from Ryu, the downcast expression on his face informing her that he was going to do it no matter what she said, "No! I don't… I don't need to go there!"

This wasn't something as lame as a fear of doctors or needles but instead something much more devastating. She knew fully well that she lost a fight but how could she show her face in public if people knew she lost this bad?

"I didn't die or anything." She limped away as she spoke, "I lost… That's all."

Ryu stood up, his sight on the ground since he couldn't bring himself to look at the girl that admired him, "What are you saying…? You're hurt."

Coldly, she looked over her shoulder at him, "You never cared before." She quickly shot back, her ability to mask her feelings cracking along with her pride.

He opened his mouth to speak but the impact of her words left him with nothing to say. Determined to at least say something, he looked into the eyes that sadly stared back and said the first thing that came to mind.

"I care because you're my friend."

She knew that he had honest intentions but it hurt all the same…

"Exactly."

"Wait," Ryu, too worried about her to notice the double meaning in his words, found himself even further confused by the girl, "What are you getting at?"

"If…" Sakura turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself before limping away, "If I was Chun Li, you would have got here sooner."

Again he found himself speechless and struggling to reply, "It isn't like that."

"What is it like then!? Why are you always so cold to me!?" Sakura exclaimed, her temper flaring as his words pushed her off the edge, "When I win, you don't even care but let me lose and then you show up to save me like-"

"I felt…" Ryu started, interrupting her as he continued, "I felt his presence so-"

"Why didn't you just come to see me!?" She yelled, a sharp pain in her chest causing her to tightly wrap her arms around her small frame.

Something that happened because of a chance encounter was quickly becoming more important than the fact that she lost or even the fight itself. The cracked or possibly broken ribs hurt but not nearly as much as the ignorance he rained on her.

"I'm the one that loves you more than anyone and I don't get anything!" The dangerous look in her eyes dared him to say something, to interrupt her again with the nonsense she knew he would sprout, "Why is fighting more important than me?"

"Sakura…"

"I started doing this to get close to you… but you only moved farther away." The temper that flared gradually calmed and the look in her brown eyes became as soft as her voice, "Do you hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you at all!" He answered, his voice raised because of the accusation, "It's just-"

"My age?" Sakura chimed in, fully prepared to tell him it wouldn't put a dent in their relationship.

He shook his head as he found his sight drifting to the floor again, "No, it's someone else…"

His honesty was considered one of his best traits but, right now, it was one of his worst. The effect his words had on the schoolgirl were easy to see in the stunned expression that he looked up at, "What?" She muttered, the only response she could offer in such shock.

How could there be someone else? No one had any idea how long she waited. No one had any idea how patient she tried to be. No one in the entire world could possibly even comprehend how much she thought about him so… how could there be someone else?

"Who? Please… at least tell me that." She whispered, somewhat recovering from the shock. As his lips moved, she realized that she didn't want to know but it was already too late. She motioned to place her hands over her ears but the question had already received its answer.

"Chun Li."

It hurt…

Chun Li was everything she wasn't. She was elegant, feminine, and already a much better fighter than she was. How was she supposed to compare to someone like that? How was she supposed to be better than someone who was obviously superior to her in every way?

Without a word, the young girl hopelessly limped towards the hole Akuma made when he threw her through the wall. As she stepped over the bricks, she couldn't help but find the entire situation amusing. She lost a fight she never had a chance to win, she lost the person she treasured the most to another woman, but the only thing she didn't lose was here life.

She forced a smile as tears streamed down her face.

In hindsight, maybe she should have.

Suddenly her vision blurred and she stumbled but, before she fell into the pile of bricks she was trying to cross, Ryu easily covered the distance between them to catch her. Normally, she would be happy to even indirectly be in contact with him but now…

Using the last of her strength, Sakura flung herself out of his arms and collided with the wall on the other side of the alley, "Don't touch me!!" She screamed as loud as she could, the sharp pain in her side causing her to press her hand against her chest, "Don't touch me…"

He couldn't leave her like this. Despite her pleas, he carefully made his way towards her, "Sakura, you-"

She punched him.

Another blow hit him in the chest and another slowly followed after that but both of them knew the petty hits didn't have enough vigor behind them to actually hurt. Despite her feeble attempts to fend him off, he continued to endure her pathetic attacks.

Ryu did nothing except endure and his pity fueled her anger but the fire in her eyes did little to stop the tears that fell. It didn't take long for the time between each punch to grow longer and, in one last desperate attempt to get away from him, she tried to push him.

She failed and nearly fell herself but he was there to gently catch her in his arms. Too tired to put up any kind of resistance, Sakura could do nothing aside from give up before she lost consciousness. He lifted her with ease and, with one more look down at her to see how she was doing, he decided his destination.

He held her close, her head pressed up against his chest as he started to walk with as much caution as possible. As she tried her best to keep from passing out, she noted with a sad smile that he was being extra careful since he was carrying her.

There was no doubt that he was taking her to a place she didn't want to go. Still, the sound of his heartbeat soothed her and she continued to listen to it even as she sunk into the darkness that was unconsciousness.

Water splashed and her eyes snapped open.

Swiftly looking around to see what she was, she discovered a few things quicker than she would have liked. For one, she was in a bathtub filled to the top with hot, soapy water that made her wounds sting but still provided the comfort that came from a relaxing bath.

Another thing she noticed was that the only thing she had on was the white headband that was already wet. Blushing, she turned to find an equally embarrassed Ryu holding a sponge.

The schoolgirl blinked before taking in a deep breath and slowing exhaling. This had to be a dream. A situation like this was far too awkward to be reality. Successfully fooling herself, Sakura could virtually feel her brain seeping out of her ear when Ryu, shocked that she woke up so fast, dropped the sponge in the water.

"I didn't…" The street fighter paused as he gulped, "I didn't want you to lie down while you were like that…"

While he continued to spit out excuses, she regained her composure enough to realize that she was in a hotel. Now that she knew where she was to an extent, she only had one more question to ask. Blankly, she turned to her savior who quickly turned away and closed his eyes as he once again became aware of her nudity, "Please d-don't misunderstand!!"

The detached expression on her face gave way to a small smile as the anger she directed at the man melted away. Sakura's smile became larger as Ryu blindly waved his arms around in search of the sponge he dropped. It was cute that he was so scared to look at her body.

The smile on her face faded away as she paused to think about her body. She held up back a sigh. There was nothing much to look at… She was just a tomboy. Obviously he liked women that actually had sex appeal.

His hand brushed against her shoulder as he continued his blind search and he quickly blurted out an apology as he kept flailing his arms around. The thoughts concerning her appearance disappeared as she turned to focus on the blush that almost covered his entire face.

Sakura silently took a good look at him.

The serious expression he usually had was replaced with a determined yet embarrassed look as he fished around for the sponge and finally found it. Her brown eyes drifted away from his face as she noticed that he wasn't wearing the white gi everyone associated with him. The white, loose fitting tee shirt he was wearing was more than enough to surprise her but the stonewashed jeans almost made her eyeballs roll out.

"Those clothes…?"

"Ken said it would be good to try something different and I agreed."

The schoolgirl nodded as he squeezed the sponge. This wasn't the first time she saw him dressed differently but this was the first time she ever had trouble saying what she really wanted to say. Bracing herself as he dipped the sponge back into the water, Sakura decided she would just force herself to ask the question she held back ever since regaining consciousness.

"I thought…" She paused as the water splashed, "I thought that you were taking me to the hospital."

"You said you didn't want to go…" Ryu muttered, his sight glued to the floor as he spoke, "I think you'll be alright if you rest for a while."

"I see…"

The awkward silence that was once broken returned to the bathroom as the conversation fell flat. Sakura quietly stared at the shaky reflection in the water and it showed her the downcast expression she usually hid with ease. Ryu timidly brought the sponge to what he hoped was her back and, with excruciating caution, blindly rubbed it across her skin.

Instantly, she attempted to think of anything to put in the growing distance between them. An apology would only make things worst and honestly telling him how she felt wouldn't be any better. Making up her mind as the sponge slowly moved down her back, she spoke before she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

"Did you wash me… down there?"

She teased him despite the fact that she knew neither of them were in the mood for jokes. When the silence continued, she feared that her attempt to cut the tension had failed until she turned to see him blushing.

"Yes," He admitted, his face becoming a darker shade of red, "I did."

The thought of him touching her there was something that never happened even in the wildest of daydreams. Sakura couldn't help but match the blush on his face with one of her own as she pictured him shyly reaching the sponge under the surface of the water. With one hand on her back to keep her up, she could envision him bringing the sponge to the most delicate part of her anatomy.

Only if she had been awake…

"I was just starting on your h-hair when you came to."

Sakura brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, "Thank you." She whispered, nodding as she listened to him.

Ryu cleared his throat, "I think I ordered something to eat but I have to go pick it up… After that, I'll walk you-"

"My parents aren't back yet." She cut in before turning towards him, "Can… Can I stay with you just a while longer?"

He couldn't refuse if she asked like that…

Ryu, finally finished with the tedious sponge bath, took a deep breath as he stood up. With his mind made up, he opened his eyes ready to tell her that it would be better if she went home but the sad face that looked up at him quickly changed his mind, "O-Okay…" He said regretfully.

As she reached for the sponge he left behind, he silently left the room but she still caught the look on his face and she knew fully well what it meant. He didn't forget what happened earlier and it was obvious he was uncomfortable because of that.

"How unlucky…"

Today changed everything. Her ambitions, her feelings, and even some of her dreams were broken. How did she go from happily rushing home to enjoy the video games she rented to sitting in a tub lamenting over things she couldn't possibly fix now?

That wasn't even the worst part.

He was virtually right in front of her but, at the same time, he had never been farther away. Conflicting feelings? Another girl? Lost fights? Why did everything have to stand in her way? What did she do to deserve this?

"Sakura?"

"What is it?" She asked, idly noting that his voice didn't have the same spirit it usually did.

"I…" Ryu leaned on the doorframe, his face turned in the opposite direction as he spoke, "I was wondering if you felt alright now?"

What a joke.

Did she feel alright? This was one of the worst days of her life and he wanted to know if she felt alright? Sakura could feel herself getting angry again but, upon realizing the sadness in his voice, she forcefully calmed herself down, "No."

"I'm not alright…"

Continued

Author's note: I touched up the first chapter in preparation of posting the final chapter. I fixed things a bit but, most importantly, I changed some of Sakura's lines around to make her train of thought clearer.

Either way, thanks for reading friends.


	2. Part Two

Warning: Mature content.

Her

Chapter Two

Lust…

The desire they had for each other urged them on… The soft moans that filled the room, the contact of sweaty skin, and the passionate kisses she used to dream of were made into reality. Under the sheets, the night continued with sounds of pleasure keeping the silence at bay.

She didn't dare open her eyes, certain she would wake from this dream if she did but she didn't need her sight to treasure the experience. Even without being able to see him, all she needed was the feeling alone and she was getting far more than that.

Right now, other people didn't exist.

There wasn't any Akuma…

The pleasure she felt surged through her body and even deeper into her soul. She trembled in ecstasy, the feeling she experienced being burned into her mind as she swore to never forget it.

There wasn't any Chun Li…

The moisture his tongue left on her neck, the hands that touched her in the warm places, and the soft sound of hushed breaths all combined to form the things daydreams were made out of.

She was the only person on his mind. It was a pedestal she earned, a place she deserved more than anyone else. Still, there was no love. There were no real feelings for her behind his actions. The kisses were just kisses and his touch was nothing more than what it was meant to be but that didn't matter…

Right now, she was content with this. Matters of the heart could come later as long as she was the one he was thinking of now. How could she even think about feeling bad when he was making her feel so good?

This warmth was what she sought all along and she finally had it. His affectionate kisses and tender touch were merely benefits but they managed to make her get closer and closer to her peak, the sounds from her partner meaning he was reaching the same place.

At the height of their passion, he yelled her name and a beautiful smile came to her face.

Until she realized that wasn't her name.

But he should have said her name… No! It had to her name.

Her ears dismissed the truth she accepted as her exhausted lover fell beside her and repeated the name that tore her heart in two. Again, she attempted to refute what she heard but she couldn't do it when she clearly heard what he said.

It wasn't fair.

Her dream changed into a nightmare so fast that she left senseless in its wake. The pleasure that made her erupt with happiness was replaced with a bitter mix of feelings that overwhelmed her.

She went this far and he still thought nothing of her.

Her eyes snapped open, the tears that was falling something she couldn't stop now. Heartbroken, she quickly turned to face her partner only to discover he wasn't there. Snatching the sheets from over her head, she sat up in the bed and searched the room.

Just like it was before she dosed off, Ryu was peacefully sleeping on the same spot on the floor. Silently, he breathed in and out as he laid still on the other side of the room.

It was just a dream…

Sakura used the back of her forearm to wipe the tears out of her eyes, "It was a nightmare…" She whispered, correcting herself.

It was just as she said. Never in her entire life did she have a dream that was so vivid… or terrifying. Her fantasies were nothing compared to that. She could remember his hands gently massaging her, caressing her in places she was slow to touch herself but it still scared her. It scared her that she wanted him so bad but…

"Sakura?" Ryu called out into the darkness of the room, the shifting in the bed something he caught even in his sleep, "You're awake?"

The schoolgirl hung on to the way he said her name, desire still thick in her mind as she watched him place his hand in front of his mouth to stifle a yawn. She stared directly at him as he sat up, stretching his arms before he started to stand, "Sorry… Did I wake you up?"

"No, n-not at all," He lied, suppressing another yawn as he moved closer to the bed, "Did you have a bad dream?"

She nodded, "Yeah…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

His question caught her off guard but she honestly wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell him the truth right then and there but, if she did, then there was no telling what could happen afterwards. It was possible that he wouldn't even want anything to do with her…

The only way she would feel comfortable telling him was if she knew something in advance, "Can I ask you a question first?" She asked with unease, twiddling her thumbs as she thought about how to pose the question.

"Sure…" Ryu responded, "What is it?"

"Chun Li," Sakura's light brown eyes stared directly into his own, "Does Chun Li know how you feel about her?"

Instead of answering, he reached for and pulled the sheets back over her, "Don't bother thinking about that… You need to get some rest."

"Please…?"

Ryu sighed, he couldn't refuse when she asked him like that and she knew it, "I don't know how to tell her. I don't see her a lot and…" He stopped abruptly, the fact that he didn't have anything more to say something he hoped Sakura missed.

His prayers were answered. The schoolgirl was too relieved to notice something like that. If his affections weren't known, she still had a chance. She licked her lips as Ryu decided to take a seat on the edge of the bed, "I'll tell you about my dream now okay?"

There was a brief pause, the few minutes it took for her to gather the courage to tell him. She flashed him a confident, beautiful smile as she finally decided she was going to tell him exactly what she had in mind, "I had a dream we were having sex..."

"H-Huh!?"

Sex…

It was a raw word, one she used intentionally. In her nightmare, they weren't making love and any attempt to fool herself into believing so was fallacy but he was surprised to the point where he was speechless even though she knew he had something to say about it.

Sakura pulled back the sheets; this was her only chance to show him she wasn't just a little girl. Even though that dream tore at her heart, it still made her body react in a more intimate fashion, "It was so good until you said her name but that's okay…" She whispered as she started crawling towards him, "I know you won't even be thinking about her now."

"S-Sakura," Ryu moved backwards to put some space between them, intentionally distancing himself from the promise of sex, "Stop… Don't-"

She grabbed his arm before he could successfully escape and crawled on top of him. He took a stray glance at her but turned his sight to the wall when he realized she took off the tee shirt he gave her to sleep in.

Ryu tried to slide from under her but it only made his position even more compromising than it already was. He wouldn't dare push her away, that was something he wouldn't do even if she perfectly fine so he decided he would just have to tolerate it for her sake.

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?" The girl lowered her head, her face nuzzling against his as she spoke, "Just… Just give me a chance okay?"

"It's not… decent."

"So?" She whispered, her breath tickled his neck, "No one will know."

She raised her head and he turned to face her, "Did Akuma do anything to you?" He was grasping at straws but something was obviously wrong, all of this wasn't merely coming from a lost fight or some broken ribs but she disregarded the question.

Sakura ignored him again, he didn't know… He didn't have the slightest idea how long she waited for this. She was pressing against him and she knew he could feel her but she held herself back for his sake, "Do you want to tell me the truth now?"

His silence was reason enough to continue.

"You don't want to be with Chun Li. Did you just randomly blurt out a name?" She waited for him to stop her, to tell her she was wrong but she knew she was on the right track now, "You made it all up because you're scared of me…"

A triumphant smile spread across her face, it was more than an assumption now.

Ryu stared up at her in shock knowing that she was completely right.

When she demanded a reason, he knew he didn't have one so he made something up on the spot. He had to lie to her… For them to be together wasn't right. He couldn't stay in one place for too long and she had future too bright to be eclipsed by something like street fighting.

Even if he ultimately failed at it, he tried to be cold to her.

Why? She had responsibilities and so did he, being together would only serve to distract them not to mention the possible complications that could arise from even attempting such a relationship. It might have seemed selfish for him to keep to himself but it was for her sake more than his own.

Also, it wasn't so much he was scared of her.

He was scared of what could happen to her.

What if Bison was still alive somewhere and found him while he was with Sakura? What if Akuma spotted the two of them and decided he wanted a fight? What… What if he lost control of himself?

That's why he would never look at her the same way she looked at him.

"You're…" He felt his heart tighten, the grip he had on his emotions just as firm as he turned away from her, "You're wrong."

A swift flick of her wrist resulted in a stinging slap and he knew he deserved it, more than one as a matter of fact. She quickly got off him and walked to the corner of the room to get her clothes.

Sakura dressed herself in silence but she wanted it that way. If he said anything else, anything at all she knew she was going to snap. No, she decided, she wanted him to say something. She wanted him to spew some more of the bullshit he constantly said just so she would have a reason to take a lid off her anger.

All he had to do was say yes.

Not even that much, a nod would have suited her just fine. She wasn't asking for him to confess with fireworks blazing behind him, just a small sign that he cared for her just as much as she cared for him.

He didn't even have to do anything aside from lay right where he was and accept her love. She would have kissed him, she would have touched him… All she needed was a yes.

She pulled her shirt down over her head already knowing it was hopeless. If he wanted to be stupid, then he could be stupid by himself…

Stray rays of moonlight filtered through the blinds on the window and landed on her still form. Sakura stood, soft strips of light covering her figure as she stared at the man she thought she loved. With a simple tug on the end, her headband came undone and she threw it at him before walking towards the door.

Still, she walked with bated breath hoping that he would try stopping her but he didn't even move as the white headband so similar to his own fell squarely on his chest.

Sakura opened the door, "I swear…"

"I hate you."

It hurt…

Her words hurt so much more than she could imagine.

Sakura slammed the door behind her and looked at the night sky. A faint smile came to her face as she finally recalled what Akuma said before that fateful fight, the things he told her regarding her strength.

If he didn't want to admit it, she would make him and, if he still didn't say it, she would break him until he did. Sakura held up her fist and stared at it. It was a fist she trusted, a fist that would show her the secrets the demon she fought promised she'd understand if she fought.

She breathed in the night air and, with a quick look behind her, walked off to see if what he said was true.

0

He sighed as he stared at the wrist guards she forgot to take with her.

The dull red equipment, a smaller version of the ones he owned, laid in the corner on top of the tee shirt she discarded. Just like the headband in his hand, they were left behind and it was a chance she wouldn't return for them.

The sunlight peeked through the blinds and the morning rays landed on the wrist guards. Idly he noted that was exactly where she was standing earlier but the scene would have appeared so much more peaceful if the person that owned them was still here.

He passed the time, the hours he spent sitting on the bed since she left wondering if he made the right choice. The truth would have put them on different terms for sure… Sakura still would have this headband tied around her head and she would probably still be here.

Ryu shook his head to free himself from such a silly notion.

Sakura was a student.

Instead of being around him and having her heart broken, she should be at school determined to make her parents and friends proud. Street fighting was the path he chose and he wasn't going to allow her to trail behind him.

She deserved to be praised for something other than the ability to mimic the style of fighting he shared with some of his fellow street fighters. If she just invested all of that effort somewhere else then she could be so much greater than just a fighter, she could excel in anything she wanted.

A tint of sorrow tainted his smile as he got up and picked up her wrist guards. He always knew she was great, it was no secret that he thought highly of her but something was wrong.

Something was definitely off about her.

Sakura was normally so bubbly; it was more than far fetched for someone like her to even mention things like being in love or wanting a relationship. She was acting so mature now… What happened to the innocent girl that just enjoyed learning techniques and laughing when she claimed she stole them? The same girl that always made a conscious effort to never take things too far?

This would be the last he thought about it. Even if he considered this a break from the fighting, he still had places to go and people to meet.

Still, his brown eyes drifted down to what he held in his hands. The least… No, he had to return her things to her before he left because it was very possible that he would never see her again.

With his destination known, he grabbed his duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder before walking out of the door. He stepped into the day and made his way to the landlady.

He gave her a humble bow before he reached into his pocket for the crumbled bills to pay for the time spent in the room. She accepted the money as he set out to find the schoolgirl but it wasn't until he started walking that he realized he didn't know where she lived.

Again, Ryu sighed as he walked down the sidewalk. It was just like him to overlook something like that. Although he knew where he wanted to go, it was useless when he didn't have the slightest idea which direction he should head in.

"I'm just a normal high school student!" A girl exclaimed loudly causing him to immediately turn around and look down the street he almost passed.

He raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of the person that said it, the fact that she was more than just a student something all too obvious. Dressed in what seemed to be an outfit more fitting for a ninja, she looked down at what she wore with a slight frown.

It looked light and incredibly easy to move in but the clothes weren't even the lone reason for the accusation her opponent shot at her in the first place. The kunai daggers she failed to completely cover were proof she was a ninja but the dangerous look in her eyes proved this wasn't a day for her to be messed with.

"You want me to believe you while you are wearing that?" The girl across from her didn't even flinch upon spotting the gleaming metal, "Get real."

The cocky girl wore a red uniform that looked extremely similar to the one Sakura wore except with one stark difference. Where Sakura separated herself from the other girls with the headband he had in his pocket, the girl in front of him wore a big purple ribbon in her hair along with short tights under her skirt. Her blonde hair had to be just as long if not longer than that of the girl under her glare, the lengthy curly locks swaying in the wind as she smirked, "Who do you have to assassinate today?"

"Shut up!" The dark haired girl angrily yelled, spectators starting to crowd the street as tempers started to flare.

Ryu, temporarily distracted by the promise of a fight, decided it would be no harm in watching but recalled he did know them as he drew closer to the girls.

The blonde was one of Sakura's friends for sure. Karin was her name if he remembered correctly. Sakura mentioned her frequently but it was merely by chance that he even met her seeing that she happened to be at a formal event he endured to see Ken. Coming from a rich background, she seemed to be as flashy as his best friend but she had reason enough to be cocky based on her skill if what Sakura said about her was true.

Ryu turned his attention to the ninja who inched her hand closer and closer to the daggers she kept on her at all times. He knew her name. Ibuki was one of the many he encountered in the tournament hosted by Gill.

Like Karin, he never actually saw her fight but he was soundly defeated by Oro in that very tournament and he was someone she could her ground against. That alone was testament to her skill.

"Just do it!" Someone screamed from the restless crowd, "Fight!"

Both of them took a stance but neither moved after that. With careful eyes, they both waited for the other to act first. Suddenly, a dagger flew through the air and Karin easily caught it.

Casting the weapon aside, she covered her mouth and laughed, "Is that all you got? This will be easy then!"

Ibuki smiled as the dagger clanked on the asphalt, "I wasn't even trying."

Ryu made the mistake of blinking and Ibuki literally disappeared. Sensing where she was, he lifted his head upwards and found her. She was so high in the air that it was hard to see her because of the sun but it wasn't at all hard to make out the daggers she was throwing.

He could hear the muffled gasps from around him as wave after wave of daggers made their way down to Karin who was just as surprised as everyone else. The blonde spared no time bracing herself as the daggers rained down on her, nicks and cuts becoming as familiar as the unrelenting pressure Ibuki released upon her.

The ninja landed in front of Karin, her arms still crossed to guard against an attack that was already over. The daggers all surrounded her, the fact that none seriously found their mark something that weighed heavy on her mind.

"Hmm," Ibuki taunted, "I don't see you laughing now that-"

A palm strike to her chest cut her off and, more importantly, sent her flying to the ground.

Karin coolly stood over Ibuki, her brown eyes unable to mask the insult she suffered under the assault from the daggers, "That hurt." She voiced as her opponent started to get back up.

Ibuki pushed herself off the ground and landed on her feet, "That hurt too…" She replied in kind, rubbing the sore spot in the middle of her chest as she spoke.

The girls locked eyes with each other as they both took their stances. They were more than serious now, the laughing and taunts they exchanged earlier something that would be out of place now.

While it was merely an altercation at first, it was a real fight now.

Karin braced herself, sliding her foot ever closer towards her opponent and Ibuki did the same. They looked at each other, sizing each other up for the second time as they both looked for the window to strike.

Ibuki narrowed her eyes, she saw a chance. She threw one of her daggers and rushed forward behind it, her long black ponytail caught in the motion as it tossed around behind her.

The dagger was deflected effortlessly and the blonde smiled as she saw the look of shock flash across the ninja's face. It was too late for her to stop even though she knew the attack was coming, her own forward momentum brought her to the open palm strikes that she was so determined to avoid.

"Kanzuki-ryuu Hou Ou Ken!!"

In the eyes of Karin, it was not only the strongest offensive move in the world but also the strongest defensive one.

Ibuki didn't even have time to gasp as strike after strike pounded her. Every attempt to block was useless, the blows were too fast to stop. Every attempt to counter only resulted in her getting hit harder.

The spectators cheered as the black haired girl was literally lifted off the road by the numerous blows. Her hands were moving so fast that they became a blur, the only thing visible being the effect each hit had on the girl in the air. Ryu himself was awed as the attack continued but Karin eventually yielded, her arms returning to her side as Ibuki landed hard on the road.

The victor let out a breath she didn't know she was holding after looking at the girl she laid out for the second time, "Nice try but it takes more than that." She turned around, sighing as she looked down at her cut up uniform, "It was a good-"

It happened too fast.

Before she knew what was happening, her arm was being raised and something was speeding towards her exposed side. Ibuki's fist landed before anyone even knew she was upright and Karin was sent crumbling to the ground holding her stomach like it was cracked in half.

"Raida…" The ninja said, releasing the arm she still held as the crowd virtually erupted.

Refusing to make the same mistake her opponent made, Ibuki waited until it was obvious the blonde wasn't getting back up. Seeing that the fight was over for good, she started to make her way through the cheering but dissipating crowd.

Limping away, Ibuki managed a look over her shoulder as Karin tried to get up but tumbled back down to the asphalt, "Yeah… It was a good fight." She remarked before disappearing into an alley.

With everyone starting to leave, Ryu made his way to the girl who could only manage to crouch after such a devastating punch, "It was a splendid fight."

"If I hit her a couple of more times then she wouldn't have been able to get up much less hit me, I just underestimated her a bit." Recognizing who he was, Karin got back to her feet but not without her face twisting up in pain as she stretched her abdominal muscles, "You are Sakura's boyfriend… What do you want?"

Deep down, he honestly wanted to talk about the fight some more but first things still came first, "Can you please tell me- Wait… What?"

She patted her stomach before turning around to face him, "No use hiding it, she talks about it almost every day. Ryu this and Ryu that, I bet you don't even live up to all that hype."

He adverted his eyes, "I really don't…"

Karin took note of the look in his eyes and, wisely, decided to leave the subject alone, "Well, what do you want? I don't have any time to waste."

"Can you please show me where Sakura lives?"

"So you two really have that type of relationship huh?"

Ryu looked up at the clouds, "It's complicated…"

She shrugged, even if she was a little curious about her naïve friend and her taste in men it still wasn't any of her business, "I can show you but we have to make it quick. I have to get to school."

He nodded, he only needed some directions and he'd be on his way but it would make a whole lot more sense to get some rest after taking a blow like that. Without voicing his opinion on that matter, he was also reminded by her that it was indeed early in the morning.

That meant that Sakura was probably at school herself. He could just drop by the house and leave her wrist guards next to the door or something. It was somewhat cowardly not to give them to her in person but he really didn't want to see her like that again…

"…and you take a left when you get to that street." Karin nudged him with her elbow, "Hey! Pay attention!"

"Sorry," Ryu quickly apologized to her for not listening as they walked.

"Anyway," Karin stopped to lean on a fence, "She lives down the street after this one, take a left at that corner." She pointed down the street and he nodded, "Her house is the third one on the right, it's the one that has a bike in front of it."

"She doesn't use it since she likes to run to school." The blonde knowingly said before she pushed herself off the fence, "Tell I said hello if she still around when you get there."

Ryu looked ahead and nodded, "Thank you but are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course I am! A crappy punch like that won't keep me-Uh…" Like she was on cue, Karin doubled over and started to rub her side with her hand, "Damn… Damn her."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. With a quick press of a single button, a number was dialed and she put the phone up to her ear, "Come and pick me up. I want to go-Yes, I know what time it is! Just do it!" She yelled into the receiver before shutting it and putting it back in her pocket.

Not even minutes later, a black sedan pulled up right beside them and the driver exited the car with a slight frown as he motioned to open the door for her, "Miss Kanzuki, I don't think this-"

The servant was quieted with a look before Karin turned her attention back to Ryu, "On second thought, tell Sakura I'll have to skip our sparring session today because… Um… because I'm going to Germany."

"Okay…" He replied, the truth more than obvious as she got in the car and reminded the driver they were going home.

She closed the door herself and, once again, he was left alone as the car sped down the same street he was supposed to go down. Thankful for the help, Ryu steeled himself with a deep breath and started walking to where Sakura lived.

0

Her house was pretty much like he thought it would be.

It was average in terms of size and space but it more than made up for the things it lacked with sentimental value. The rooms, while smaller than many he had seen before, were filled with the essence of family. He could tell that her parents were nice people just by the feeling the house invoked.

As he wandered through the house, he couldn't stop himself from thinking he should have just left her equipment and headband at the door. It would have been easier for both of them if he just left it at that and returned to his journey but he knew it wouldn't be right to do that.

Besides, he just couldn't leave after finding the door wide open.

"Sakura?" He called out.

Although he wanted one, he was relieved when he didn't receive a response.

Carefully, he stepped through the house and briefly looked through the rooms. At first, he thought that she just didn't want to see him but, after looking through a greater part of the house, it was wasn't hard to tell she wasn't here at all.

Ryu was about to give up and leave until he heard the sharp creek of the door opening and the shuffling of someone coming in. His heart skipped a beat as he realized he didn't have a good reason for being in her house aside from wanting to return something he should have just left next to the bicycle outside.

The approaching footsteps made him more nervous than he already was but he would just tell her the truth. He already knew from experience that lies only made things worse. He softly sat his duffle bag down and prepared to face the young girl but… the person in front of him wasn't Sakura.

A roundhouse came out of nowhere and he barely had enough to time to block, the stinging sensation on his forearm enough to realize how dangerous the kicks were. Surprised, the person hopped back and launched a flurry of kicks that were all parried.

Even though the figure was masked by the shadows in the house, there weren't many people who could kick like this and there was definitely only one person in the world that could keep up this kind of pressure with just kicks.

Ryu hastily ducked under one of her attacks before lowering his guard, "Chun Li?"

"That voice…" The attacker stepped closer to him and he could finally make out her features, "Ryu!? What are you doing here?" Her anger subsided but surprise still stood out on her pretty face.

It was her.

That classic powder blue outfit, those striking brown eyes, her toned legs, her elegant fighting style… He couldn't forget someone like her. Chun Li stood before him with her eyebrows furrowed but she dropped her stance upon seeing that it was really him.

"It's hard to explain…" Ryu honestly admitted, turning away from the beautiful woman as he realized he was staring, "Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for Sakura and-"

"Did something happen to her?" Ryu spoke before thinking, unintentionally cutting her off.

"I hope not…" Chun Li sighed; worry flashing across her features as she looked around the house, "I wanted to find her to make sure nothing happened. I started to fear the worst when I got here and saw the door unlocked."

Both of them fell into an awkward silence.

Ryu picked his duffle bag back up as Chun Li took a quick look around to see if anything seemed out of place. Of all the places street fighters could encounter each other, a living room being stage to a fight was something that frequently happened but he never imagined he would find a fight here.

However, what made him feel the most uncomfortable was the fact Chun Li was actually here. Any other time, he would have been glad to spar with the famed fighter but, if Sakura saw her, things were going to become more than just difficult.

"Well…" Chun Li's soft voice roused him from his thoughts, "I'm sure you have a story so how about getting out of here and getting something to eat?"

Anything was better than staying here and waiting for someone who actually lived here to return. Now that he thought about it, it was a great chance Sakura left before he came and just left the door open by mistake, "I'll like that…" He answered, the fact that he didn't eat since yesterday something his stomach reminded him of on his way here.

As she talked about what she wanted to eat, Ryu placed Sakura's wrist guards on the coffee table before they neared the front door but, even thought he remembered to leave them on the table, he completely forgot about the headband he stuffed in his bag.

Continued

Author's Note: Hmm, it's going down. I just now realized that I used the fight as filler pretty much, without it this chapter probably would have been the worst one for sure. 


	3. Part Three

Her

Chapter Three

"Haha, I can't even imagine someone like you being caught up in something like this." Chun Li chuckled as she twirled her chopsticks around in the empty bowl, "I'm sorry just the thought is crazy."

"Yeah," Ryu got off his stool and fished inside his duffle bag for the money to pay for their meal, "I didn't want to hurt her feelings but I ended up making things worse…"

She hopped off the stood before walking out of the ramen stand and stretching, "Funny that you said I'm the one you fell in love with thought."

She giggled again and would have missed the blush that covered his face if it wasn't for her sharp reflexes. With his cheeks almost a shade of crimson, Ryu paid for her breakfast and immediately turned around to bow, "I'm s-sorry about that."

It was her turn to blush as people stopped to look at him apologize to her, "Y-You don't have to be so formal about it! It's not like you were for real!" Chun Li frantically exclaimed, waving her hands around in an attempt to wave his apology off.

It was another awkward moment.

Every since he told her what happened between him and Sakura, no matter what the conversation was about they always managed to get on the topic of him saying he fell in love with her.

While the detoured conversations gave numerous reasons for their faces to color, the reason the Interpol agent was here in the first place couldn't be more serious, "Anyway," Chun Li continued as she turned away to regain her composure, "I came because Shadowloo is still active."

The soft sound of her voice betrayed how serious a problem it really was.

"But Bison is dead…" Ryu picked up his stuff and followed her as they walked away from the ramen stand. Shadowloo belonged and could only belong to one man and he was long gone. Without him, the organization was just crumbling remnants he thought dissipated long ago, "Why would they want Sakura?"

"Who knows..."

"What?" He asked, confused to what she meant.

"Right now, Shadowloo is just a group of criminals without anyone to lead them but it is still Shadowloo." Chun Li looked at the various stands as they walked down the busy street, "I heard Vega is in charge…"

Instantly, a memory of that mask and claw flashed in her mind. The scars she got from fighting him something that ensured he would never be on the friendly side of her foot.

He knew Vega was trouble even before she fought with him, "You still didn't say what Sakura has to do with any of this though." She came to an abrupt stop and he almost bumped into her, "Chun Li?"

"It's my fault." She sighed, shaking her head as she acknowledged it was all her fault, "Vega is randomly sending out as many people as he can to get information."

"After I handled Barlog, he told me Vega was looking for Cammy. He's using all the resources available to him to look for her and he knows I'm the one who helped her escape." He watched from behind as she balled her hands into fist, "I should have taken him out when I had the chance. If anyone gets hurt became of me…"

He wasn't sure if she was sad or angry but, even though he was standing behind her, he could already imagine the intense look on her face. Yes, he could virtually see her feelings as she alone accepted all and any blame. It was a soothing aura, the kind that made you feel just that much stronger when you saw her resolve.

"Don't worry," Ryu said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder as he moved closer, "I'm sure nothing bad will happen. Everyone can take care of themselves."

"Yeah, he should just accept it if she wants nothing to do with him."

"I was thinking the same…." Ryu trailed off as he turned to find the smiling face of the man he agreed with, "Where did you come from?"

The strongest sumo wrestler in the world let out a hearty laugh, "I just saw you two walking away from my favorite ramen stand and figured I'll join you!" Honda playfully slapped Ryu on the arm. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed to the point where he could hardly see and he took on the most serious expression he could muster, "Or is this a date…?"

Ryu held up his hands in denial, "You have it all-"

"Yes, it's a date."

Chun Li looked over her should and smiled at the men behind her as she spun around. It wasn't just a normal smile though. It was more than just a simple expression, something far more important than it seemed.

It was the first time he ever saw her honestly look happy, carefree even as she happily told the sumo wrestler that this was a day just for them. So breathtaking was her smile that he was almost knocked over when Honda slapped him on the back, "Ryu, you sly dog! Never thought I'll see the day!"

Ryu, still lost in the glory of her smile, could only mumble something that didn't make sense as older man left them alone and made his way to his favorite ramen stand, "You…."

"I know it's sudden but," She interrupted him on purpose, "When was the last time you had fun?"

The last time he had fun? The fact that he had to take time out to think about it spoke volumes to the woman in front of him. He filed through recent memories and realized that he honestly couldn't recall the last time he sparred with Ken or enjoyed a fight.

"I…" He looked down at the sidewalk as the busy day continued around them, "I don't know."

Chun Li slammed her fist on her palm, "It's decided then! Let's go do something fun."

"We can't…" Ryu shook his head, unable to face her as he shot down her invitation, "We have to find Sakura and make sure she's okay."

"I came here because I thought she'll need some help but she'll be fine at that school." She reasoned as she idly traced her finger around the spikes on her bracelet.

Now that she put it like that, the school Sakura went to was pretty dangerous in its own right but it was still better than the alternative. If she was at school then it wasn't anything to worry about.

"I guess you're right." He relented, a small smile crossing his features as he decided that Sakura was in the safest place she could be.

"Hmm?" She mirrored his smile with one of her own, "You seem scared. Afraid I might beat you in a game or two?"

Ryu narrowed his eyes, the competitor in him rising up as they started walking again, "Is that a challenge?"

"Yeah," Chun Li laughed, "Yeah, it is."

0

It was almost sad to see such a lively place devoid of people but Chun Li insisted it only made it easier for them to enjoy themselves. Aside from them, the arcade was empty. The students that would have usually been spending their free time here were still at school.

It was because the arcade was empty that they had a free choice of which game they wanted to place and their decision was obvious. The flashy fighting game in the middle of the floor was the perfect choice.

Although it was just a game, the two didn't treat it as such. The fact that they were just pressing buttons and moving a joystick had little meaning when it was just as intense as an actual fight.

The screen flashed as a man cried out the name of his move and charged the woman in front of him with his fist raised. Patiently, she waited till he got close enough and countered his special with one of her own.

"KO!" The announcer yelled loud enough for people to hear outside.

The lady unfolded her fan, laughing not only at her opponent as he landed hard on the cement but, by extension, the man who controlled him. Ryu sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the character select screen, "What is this…? My sixth time losing in a row?"

"Eighth," She corrected him as he put another coin in the machine.

It amused her to no end that he was so ridiculously bad at fighting games. While the irony of the situation itself wasn't lost to her, it was the way he handled losing so bad that made her laugh. She even tried to lose on purpose in the fourth match but he managed to lose because of a time out.

"Final Round!" The announcer yelled as the text on screen faded away, "Fight!"

His character dashed towards her again, the brown leather of the jacket caught in the wind as he rushed across the screen with his fist held high. She blocked and easily countered causing his avatar to be launched into the air. Taking advantage of the opportunity, her character followed the man into the air and punished him with a combo that drained more than half of his health.

Before she could land the last hit, his character recovered and started to flash white. The man grabbed the head of his opponent and was prepared to drive it into the cement below until Chun quickly entered a command to reverse the throw.

"Nice try," She said as her character safely landed on the ground, the remainder of his health almost completely gone as the man struggled to get up, "You're starting to get it now. You just…."

She was silenced by the flash on screen. The background started to change colors as Ryu made his character rush her again. Chun Li watched as her character was overwhelmed by a wave of power, the strength of his character released in what could only be called a desperation move.

"W-Wow! You did it!" Chun Li exclaimed as she got ready to get serious… until she noticed his character wasn't moving.

With a cautious glance to her right, she couldn't help but be surprise when she saw the reason.

Ryu blinked as he stared at the broken joystick in his hand, "You… You have to be kidding me." He said, mystified by his bad luck when he was on the verge of his first victory.

Chun Li felt her eyes starting to water and, no matter how hard she tried, she knew she couldn't hold it back any longer. With tears starting to flow, she laughed so hard that her sides started to hurt. Having him lose like that was just too funny.

"C'mon!" She barely got out amidst her laughter, "Let's get out of here before someone sees us!"

He frowned in disagreement, placing the broken joystick back on the cabinet as she continued to laugh. She was a police officer and, even if it was no more than a minor offense, leaving things like this wouldn't just be breaking a law but morally wrong. He started to dig in his duffle bag for money to leave beside the joystick, "But-"

She grabbed him.

With her hand wrapping around his own, he was pulled away. Using her other hand to wipe the tears out of her eyes, Chun Li half dragged him out of the arcade, "If it was flimsy enough to break then it's there fault!"

This was a side of her he never saw before. Just like he never knew Sakura could be so serious, he never imagined that someone as frank as Chun Li could be so…

She looked over her shoulder as they ran down the street, her reassuring smile all that was needed to relieve any bitterness he previously had thanks to losing. She smiled at him and he smiled at her, both of them happy as they escaped from the scene of the crime.

He never knew she could be so fun.

So he let go of the feelings that plagued him just like she did. All he could focus on was the soft hand tightly holding his own and the pleasant sound of laughs that reflected the time they were spending together.

He wished it would never end and lost track of time because of that. They ran with hand in hand but not fast enough to get tired but not slow enough to be called jogging. How long they ran with those big smiles plastered across their faces? Why were they running? Where were they going?

None of it mattered.

Even if it was just a small escape, it was still an escape from their problems and they honestly didn't want it to end even though they knew it would eventually.

"You two running from the police?" A man asked, the chain that bound his legs clanking against the ground as he ran beside them.

Just like predicted, it came to an end sooner than they would have liked. So strange was the question that they both ended up stopping and he came to a halt beside them. Taking a good look at the man, he didn't appear to be the type of person that belonged in jail but the striped uniform he wore was proof that he was.

His short blonde hair was ruffled but that was a given seeing that he was on the run but it was his calm blue eyes that made it seem like this was an everyday thing. He stared at them with a nonchalant expression, the way he stood making it easy to see that he was still waiting on them to answer.

What caught Ryu's attention wasn't the stubble on his chin or even the fact that he made it so far with both his hands and legs bound but that he seemed so familiar. Chun Li, on the other hand, was only concerned about one thing as she released the hand she held and stepped forward.

"No, but…" In contrast to the laughs they shared before, she was dead serious about returning him to where he belonged, "I won't mind turning you in."

The prisoner, liking the feeling he got from the woman, smirked as he approached her, "I don't really like to fight girls but let's see what you are made of!"

Chun Li took her stance as the man before her did the same, "Fine with-"

"Wait…" Ryu said, stepping between them before anything unnecessary happened, "I remember now. You are Guy's friend, the one that is addicted to fighting." He said, recalling the exact words the Bushin master used to describe his best friend.

Cody took off his handcuffs and scratched his chin before slapping them back on, "Yeah, that's about right."

It was more than just right, it was true. Even though he was once regarded as a hero, he was now just a lowly inmate who passed the time picking fights with people. Without the aid of his friends and the faith of his girlfriend, this was what he became.

He didn't care… the thrill of the fight was all he needed anyway. The scuffles in prison were barely enough to sustain his appetite so he took the chance to escape when he saw it. The only thing that dampened his spirits was the fact he would have been freed by now if he just kept his cool but a few good fights would make him feel better.

The convict bent over to pick some rocks up, "So you still want to fight?"

Chun Li stepped from behind Ryu, "Do you still want to end up in the hospital?"

It was hopeless to stop them now, they were determined to fight. Her sense of justice was too strong and he was obviously provoking her for the fight he wanted. All he could do was back up and hope the officer running in their direction would stop them before things got out of hand.

The brown-haired man did a double take, the ends of his red headband caught in the motion as he looked at the man running towards them, "Where did he come from…?"

Chun Li crossed her arms, "Looks like someone is here to apprehend you already."

"S-Say what!?" Cody snuck a glance over his shoulder and almost dropped the rocks he held, "Damn! He's never found me this fast!"

He took aim and threw the rocks in an arch, easily hitting the police officer directly in the forehead. Chun Li gasped, holding a hand up to her mouth as the man in uniform lost his balance and fell.

"He… He just hit an officer!" She voiced, not believing her own eyes as Cody made his getaway. There was no choice to be made now, she definitely had to take him down herself and was about to until she was grabbed.

Thanks to the dangerous look she shot him, her arm was released the instant her eyes landed on him but he had a good reason, "He's alright…" He pointed at the burly policeman getting back on his feet and resuming the chase, "I never met him before today but I can tell he's a good guy."

She raised an eyebrow, her expression darkening as she looked at him, "You didn't see the same thing I just did?"

"I did but you didn't see that they were smiling." Ryu scratched his head, "I think they are having fun just like we were… Even I can tell they are friends even if they don't know it yet."

"I guess you're right…" Chun Li took a deep breath and let it out, exhaling the urge to drag Cody back to prison herself, "I'll let it slide if it's like that."

As they quietly watched the officer run and later round the same corner that Cody took, Ryu noticed how close the sun was to the horizon. If he wasn't mistaken, Sakura would probably be on her way back home soon.

Chun Li nodded in agreement before she yawned, "You mind if we go take a break in the park for an hour or two?" She gestured towards the park that was a few blocks away.

She started walking without even giving him a chance to reply. While he didn't know her as well as he would have liked, he knew enough about her to know that was just the kind of person she was.

It wasn't that she asked as a formality or wasn't patient enough to wait for his answer. She just knew what he was going to say and confidently started walking down the street with her head held high with him trailing not far behind.

As they walked, he watched her proudly take step after step.

She walked just like Sakura…

It was a thought that came out of nowhere but he retained the thought nonetheless. Chun Li and Sakura were so similar in some ways but, at the same time, they were extremely different. While Sakura adopted a fighting style that mimicked his own, Chun Li alone honed her skills with training she forced herself to do every other day.

To this day, he remembered how those very skills almost trumped his own in the tournament but it wasn't like he could ever forget those kicks that were strong enough to break through his guard.

At that time neither one of them were anything remotely close to behind happy. He was barely clinging to his sanity because of the influence Akuma revealed he always harbored and she was enraged over the murder of her father, consumed by her hatred of the man who killed him.

It was a bitter fight, things like words and reason were left behind long before it started and the setting was just as bleak. It was storming, rain pouring down on the market street as everyone but the few that watched the fight ran to seek shelter from the downpour.

Their feelings met in a clash of power, a victory something both of them desperately needed. It was a fight in every sense of the word. It wasn't just a mere match but a gritty battle fought to see who would be the one standing when the other couldn't get up.

They were finished with blocking, the effort it took to do that something that could be used to attack and that was exactly what Ryu did. He used his trademark move freely, unable to hold back under threat of being hit by more of her kicks but she withstood constant projectile after projectile.

He was going to throw another one until her feet landed squarely on his face. Shock reached him before pain, the latter taking over as he fell backwards and his head broke through the pavement. He bounced off the ground just enough to get caught in the flurry of kicks that were waiting to juggle him.

She didn't stop.

Just like him, she didn't hold anything back. Each and every kick was felt, but it was more than just the impact they left on him. He could feel her anger, the way she strained to keep going till he blacked out a sign of her impatience… but it was in that anxiety that he saw his only chance.

Waiting on her to get tired wasn't an option, any more and he wouldn't be able to get up. Instead he had to wait for the perfect moment and do something to break her rhythm. They could hear the cheers from the soaked people around them but neither of them paid the crowd any attention as she continued her relentless assault… until he finally parried and threw her off balance.

Using her surprise to his advantage, he rushed towards her and lowered himself to the ground in preparation for another of his special moves. His fist met her chin and the strength of the uppercut brought both of them into the air.

He landed softly on his feet and watched as she landed on her back, the resulting splash proof of how hard she hit the ground.

In spite of how much it hurt, she rolled over and he gave her ample room to get back up. They glared at each other through wet locks of matted down hair as the crowd continued to grow but they both knew the fight was nearing its end.

Ryu was more than just winded, he was barely standing. The barrage of kicks left him with virtually no stamina left to speak of and the only thing keeping him upright was his will to win with his own power.

Chun Li was not fairing any better. In addition to the Hadou-kens she took at the beginning of the fight, the Shoryuken was more than enough to make her vision get blurry. Instead of one opponent, she was seeing three and the rain wasn't helping.

One hit…

One good hit and it'll be over.

"Kikoken!" Chun Li cried, swaying after she launched the projectile in his direction.

A small yellow ball of energy surrounded by a flowing blue aura started to slowly make its way towards her opponent who she knew was going to counter with a projectile of his own. Just like she predicted, he started to gather all of his remaining energy for what they both hoped was his final offensive.

"Shinkuu Hadou-ken!!" Ryu shouted as her attack neared him.

Chun Li was already in the air before he shouted, her heel aimed directly at his face until she noticed that his hands were empty, "A… A fake!?"

It was too late to recover. If she tried to fall in front of him, she would get hit by her own projectile and any attempt to land her attack now would only end with her being the one hit. Wisely, she landed behind the wave like blue of her attack and Ryu started to charge forward with his elbow leading the way.

Her eyes went wide as he plowed through the attack and continued towards her like it was nothing. Her eyes gradually returned to their normal size, her composure something she regained as she had the foresight to realize this meant she lost.

His elbow collided with her still frame, the attack hitting her so hard it felt like her torso was going to be torn in half. She doubled over in pain but he was just as unforgiving as she was as his fist finished what his elbow started.

The second Shoryuken launched her into the air once again only for her body to land on the fruit merchant's table. Drained, Ryu carefully stepped over the apples and oranges that rolled across the ground and offered a hand that she eventually accepted.

Reasons for entering the tournament were exchanged and things were learned about each other that they never shared with anyone else but, because he beat her, he had one more match to worry about.

"Ryu?" Her voice derailed his train of thought, the fact that he later managed to beat Bison eclipsed by the way she looked at him, "How about we sit over there for a while?"

Looking around, he realized that they were indeed in the park now. The dark greens and browns of the place were more calming than it appeared from the distance. Trees of all sorts dotted the park, the only that took away from the atmosphere being the black lamps that lined the stone path and even those didn't detract from the overall feeling. Taking his eyes away from the scenery, he followed her line of sight and saw the wooden bench she pointed at.

With that they made their way to the bench and took a seat. For the first time today, they relaxed, taking a few minutes to reflect on the day they enjoyed together. From the lunch she insisted she pay for since he paid for breakfast to the joystick he broke and the money he left to pay for it. From running down the street without a care in the world to watching Cody evade the law. It was a day he would remember for a long time to come.

"Our little date…" Chun Li leaned back and stretched, "It was pretty fun." She said, satisfied that she did exactly what she set out to do, "How did you like it?"

Although she was more than content, it was the faint blush on his face that made her smile. She wasn't sure if he liked it or not but she loved playing with him. He was so serious about fighting but, when it came to other things, he was as awkward as a child.

"It was fun." He admitted, turning away from her as his whole face started to share the color of his headband.

She nodded before yawning. It was easy to see that she was tired but acknowledging as much reminded him how wore out he was. He was so concerned about Sakura that he couldn't sleep and, based on how Chun Li stormed into her house, he would guess she went longer than he did without getting any rest.

Still, it was a shock when her head softly came to rest on his shoulder. Failing to stifle another yawn, Chun Li shuffled closer to him so she could get comfortable, "I wonder what we… should do next time." She muttered before her heavy eyelids finally closed.

Ryu, careful not to wake her, relaxed and eased his back into the rigid wood of the bench. While it definitely wasn't a comfortable place to sleep, it was better than nothing and he was just grateful for this much.

He turned towards one of the lamps in the park as it turned on. Before he knew it, it was already this dark but he paid the setting sun no heed as his sleepy mind starting to ponder about things it only touched upon during the day.

Their date was one of the best things that ever happened to him and the promise of it being a next time was enough for him to feel anxious but just spending time like this opened the door to things he never bothered to think about before.

Love…

He risked a look at her sleeping face. With complete trust, she rested on his shoulder with a lazy smile on her face as she dreamed. She trusted him to the point that it made her vulnerable but she already knew he would never do anything to hurt her.

Was it something like this?

Would it be days like this where he wouldn't have to raise his fist even once? Would there be times where he could just take a break and relax with his friends? Would he be able to enjoy doing nothing at all and being able to be content at the end of the day?

No, it was unfair to make assumptions like that but if love was anything like today then he wouldn't mind at all.

Continued

Author's notes: Hmm, looking back at it I realized I unintentionally made them use some characters from an SNK game… Maybe I should rewrite that scene some other day.


	4. Part Four

Her

Chapter Four

"…that uppercut really got me in the end you know."

Ryu woke up to talking, low whispers coming from the woman beside him but the fact he was awake was overlooked as she continued. After thinking about what she said, it didn't take long for him to realize what she was talking about.

Even thought he kept his eyes closed, he could tell she was sitting upright now, "I was so angry that I lost that I wasn't going to accept it until you offered me your hand. Well," She paused, laughing as she thought back to how she felt, "It made me feel strange since that was the first time anyone was that nice to me after a fight."

She stopped grinning. The memory of him holding out his hand to her was one that she would never forget, the fact that he even stayed around to make sure he didn't hurt her too bad something that stayed with her even now, "I always thought highly of you. You mean a lot to me."

He almost turned around but her hand sliding on top of his stopped him cold. She was careful not to disturb him as she leaned on him again, "I should have told you when I had the chance huh?" Again, she laughed but it didn't sound happy at all, "Now you already got someone you want to be with."

Ryu opened his eyes, the things she said enough for him to forget that he was supposed to be asleep. His secret was exposed, his attempts to hide the truth from anyone never succeeding, "Chun Li…"

She literally jumped, moving away from him as he faced her, "You… You were awake!?"

"I was." He admitted, feeling somewhat guilty for deceiving her, "Sorry…"

"I… Well… Um…" Speechless, Chun Li could only fumble her words as it dawned on her that he probably heard most of what she said. A cherry hue spread across her cheeks, the embarrassment great enough to make her hide her face behind her hands.

"No, it's alright." Ryu looked away from the blushing fighter and up at the night sky, "I kind of f-felt the same way."

It was another awkward moment but he was still trying to make her feel better. Instead of moving further away, Chun Li lowered her hands and revealed one of her precious smiles, "Thanks for trying but…" She regained her composure but kept a respectable amount of distance between them, "You don't have to say things you don't mean to cheer me up."

"I'm…" He sighed, apologizing seemed to be the only thing he could do right, "I'm sorry."

"You say that too much," Chun Li graced him with her smile as she spoke, "It was just me missing an opportunity. I…" She raised her head to look at the same stars he did, "I just don't want the same thing to happen to you. I want to help you if I can."

He was amazed by her understanding; the bitterness usually associated with unrequited love was nowhere to be found in her smile. Just like that, she said she wanted to help him be with the person he loved even if it wasn't her…

"You don't have to do that." He responded, the thought that she would do it if he asked was something he knew was true but even someone as dense as he was knew it would be too cruel to even imagine bothering her with such a notion.

"Hmm? You changed your mind about high school girls and want to try grown-" Chun Li stopped talking, the look on his face telling her this wasn't the time for jokes, "What is it?" She asked softly, sensing that something was really bothering him.

"She said she hated me."

That was something she didn't expect, something he didn't tell her earlier. She figured the girl left him because she was frustrated but if she said something like that… The street fighter scooted closer to him to look him in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" A stupid question but one she asked nonetheless. It was only now she could tell he was really hurt, the way he was acting today rooted in heartache.

"I'm alright." He lied again, "I just missed my chance, too."

He was anything but alright and he definitely wasn't okay. Chun Li eyed him with more than worry gleaming in her brown eyes. She never saw him look so vulnerable, she never saw anyone look that fragile… He was always the confident man that stood as firm as a pillar but even he had his cracks, even he had things that passed the fighting he used as a barrier and hit him in the heart.

The eyes that were once looking at the sky were now looking at nothing at all. His expression was downcast, the way he vaguely looked into the distance something that made it obvious how hard he took what she said to him.

A small part of her was angry, she was mad that he had to experience something like that but she would make it better… She decided she would share that hurt with him as she moved closer and touched the side of his face. Brown eyes met brown, her smile just as attractive as the welcoming look in her eyes. He was entranced as her face edged even closer to his, "Are you lonely?" She asked, licking her lips as he couldn't help but nod.

He could feel her breath on his face, her arms looping around his neck as she pulled him closer but he didn't dare move as her mouth neared his. She was going to do something she should have done a long time ago.

She was going to kiss him.

"Uh…"

The kiss took second place to the mysterious groaning, the sound enough for both of their heads to snap in the direction it came from. Ryu bolted up like the groan was a bell, almost falling off the bench as he slid out of her grasp. He was too stunned to say anything as he got to his feet and backed away from her.

Chun Li bit her lip as she realized she acted off impulse but that didn't stop her from being more than just a bit angry that they were interrupted. If the person that bothered them wasn't already hurt then it was a chance he or she was definitely going to be when she got finished.

With a sigh freeing thoughts concerning what she almost had, she stood up and a hand grabbed her ankle. By reflex, she did what came natural to her when she was surprised in such a fashion.

She attacked.

Lifting her leg into the air, she brought it down with enough force to crash through the bench. Her hell smashed into something other than wood and the offending hand released her. Bending over, she reached her hand into the broken planks of wood and pulled someone out of the debris.

Birdie looked up at her, the splinters he just got the least of his worries as she hoisted him up by his collar, "You! Are you looking for a-"

He quickly shook his head, the colorful hair that once made up his mohawk now sprouting from his head like he forgot to comb it, "You messed round and broke my nose ya' know…"

"Learn not to grab people like that then!" She yelled into his face before releasing him.

He fell back into what was left of the bench but he was in no condition to move aside from his effort to pull the splinters out of his face, "I was just lookin' for some help… Need to go to da hospital."

Under her glare, he was promptly shut up but he wasn't lying about behind hurt. The Shadowloo lackey was in a fight, the bruises were almost everywhere and his face was already beginning to swell. If it wasn't for the hair and the chains draped around his wrist then she probably wouldn't have recognized him.

"Where is Vega!?"

He flinched, "He was fightin with da girl when I ran away… Ya' know da girl that be with that guy ya was with."

"Sakura?" Chin Li narrowed her eyes, "Which way?"

Birdie held up one of his arms, the chain clanking against the ground as he pointed before falling over. He was still conscious but he was in no condition to even move. While he was indeed hurt, medical attention could wait.

She had to go after Vega.

It wasn't hard to believe Sakura could handle someone like Birdie but Vega was on another level completely. He was so fast and his limbs were so long not to even mention that claw… Chun Li shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts but others took their place.

"If you don't want to see her then I can go by myself." She looked over her shoulder at Ryu only to discover that he was already gone.

0

She was in danger and it was his fault.

That was all he could think of as he ran in the direction Birdie pointed. If he would have taken her home then she would probably be eating dinner by now instead of messing with people like Vega.

The full moon along with the mounted lamps around the park gave more than enough light to see as he ran. He searched for sight of anyone but he didn't see anything as he slowed to a jog and stopped to look around. They had to be somewhere around here based on what Birdie said.

He couldn't help but think about what could be happening to Sakura as he wasted time trying to think of where they could be. What if she was hurt, the fight with Birdie exhausting her to the point where Vega was just having fun with her? What if he was torturing her to find out the information she didn't have? What if he was killing her?

A solid clang resonated through the air and another followed. Taking a chance, he walked in the direction it came from and stepped through the bushes in his way. The first thing he saw was people laying on the grass, some unconscious while others were howling in pain. He didn't bother to count as he stepped over them but he looked up just in time to see a broken claw sail through the air.

A tall, lanky figure took another blow causing him to stumble backwards. The girl he was fighting smiled as she took the chance to kick him just hard enough for him to fall. Sakura walked over to Vega and stood over him, smiling as she loomed over the leader of Shadowloo.

Insulted, he attacked after hopping back to his feet and the only thing he hit was air. Sakura hit him with an uppercut, both of them rising into the air she executed her version of the Shoryuken. Both of them landed safely on the ground but the same couldn't be said for his mask. The porcelain cracked because of the impact of her fist but it broke because of the jolt of landing.

The face he valued more than his life was exposed as he stepped forward, crushing his own mask under his feet. He was too angry to say anything, the fact that the girl wasn't even hurt too much of an insult to bear.

Even though he didn't have his claw, he ran towards the tree behind him and jumped off of it. Her amusement was lost with her smile as she ran towards him. She took the reckless attack head on, pushing his outstretched arms out of the way so she bring her knee up to his neck just at the right moment.

Vega fell out of the air, staggering as he got his feet back under him. He raised his hands up to his throat, the fact that he couldn't breathe something that scared him more than the projectile coming in his direction.

Ryu looked on as something too big to be called a Hadou-ken smashed into Vega and sent him flying into the same tree he jumped off. He slid down to the base, the rage on his face ensuring that he wasn't finished just yet but the elbow she drove into his face guaranteed that he was.

Vega's head broke through the tree bark and Sakura looked over her shoulder at the man she knew was watching, "Ryu…"

The twisted smile on her face sent chills down his spine, "Sakura…"

He adverted his eyes away from her overjoyed expression wondering how she could smile after doing something like that to someone. She changed, the main difference being the character that appeared on the back of her tattered uniform. Looking closer, it was easy to see it was written in blood and the character…

The schoolgirl spun around and started walking towards Ryu who stood his ground, "The character?" Her voice was so bubbly that it reminded him of the way she used to act but the sight of Vega behind her was a stark reminder that she was anything but the way she used to be, "Limitless… It says limitless."

Just like the character on the back of shirt implied, she was boundless. She was free, not restrained by any annoying notions such as being care of holding back. She was liberated by this power, she could do anything she wanted to do now.

The air around her was so thick with murder that he was forced to take a step back, "Sakura…You-"

"What?" She asked a blank look on her face, her expression changing with her words, "What do you want to say? That I'm stupid for trying to believe in you?"

Ryu turned away as her words found their mark, "You gave in to killing intent…"

It all started to make sense when he saw her throw that violet explosion of energy at Vega. Akuma must have did something to her… What it was didn't matter but to think that he orchestrated for something like this to happen just so he would have someone to fight was just like him.

"So?" Sakura said, her expression still mild as she walked towards him, "It feels so good…" She wrapped her arms around her small frame, hugging herself as a smile was born on her face, "It feels too good to be this strong. I won't lose to anyone now."

"It doesn't mean anything when you kill people!" Ryu yelled, raising his voice to free her of such delusions, "Akuma just did this so he would be able to fight you without holding back… Sakura, believe me when I say I know. He did the same exact thing to me."

She grinned, releasing herself as she started to close the distance between then, "Who said I killed anyone and I think he found the fight he was looking for if you want to put it like that."

Akuma, the same demon that almost killed her, was the same person that told her to release herself. The fights she got in all day only helped her grow but nothing pleased her more than wiping the smirk off his face when she knocked him out. Her most powerful attack was indeed something he saw many times before but, magnified by her new found strength, it was strong enough to defeat him before he could even get serious.

His eyes widened in disbelief, "How did you-"

"Does it matter?" She stopped in front of him, "You should be worried about what I'm going to do to you."

"Huh?"

She grinned again, lacing her hands behind her back before she leaned forward. Under the radiant rays of the moon, she looked just like she used to but the menacing look in her eyes was the sole thing that kept him from making the misconception. She was still Sakura, just not the one he knew but that smile still seemed so sincere.

"I'm going to hurt you."

The depressing words rolled off her tongue like a melody, the things she had in mind already the makings of a tragedy. Even with that said, he knew he couldn't seriously fight her no matter what happened.

Closing his eyes, Ryu decided to pose a question she once asked him, "Do you hate me that much?"

"Actually, I do." She replied with ease, pouring on the hate as she nodded.

He was a fool to think that everything was just going to magically get better. It was his fault… All of it was his fault but, more than that, it hurt more than he imagined. Every time she looked at him, she threw daggers in his heart but it was her words that really stabbed him.

"These must be all the people Vega rounded up to go with him."

Sakura titled her head, looking behind Ryu to find who the familiar voice belonged to, "Chun Li?"

"Sakura?" The woman looked up and waved at the girl, "Y-You're alright!" She exclaimed as she approached them, being careful not to step on any of the people laid out in front of them.

"Yeah, these guys were no problem," She calmly brought her gaze back to Ryu, "I'm perfectly fine…"

Chun Li nodded as she looked her over. Aside from a scrap or two, it looked like she was didn't have any trouble. Being able to handle all of these men along with Birdie was something that would have strained her so it was quite an accomplishment for Sakura to do it alone.

She craned her neck to the side as she noticed someone who had his head stuck in a tree. The broken remains of a mask and the tattoo across his chest was more than enough for her to see that it was the man that gave her so much trouble.

"Vega…" The officer unconsciously rubbed the scar he left on her side so long ago, "You did that to him?"

"Yup!" Sakura said, holding her fist up in the air as she winked at the older woman, "Let's forget about that loser though. How was your date?"

She smiled as they stared at her, surprise written across their faces. Seeing that they were unable to reply, she started to talk some more, "I didn't mean to follow you or anything. I just so happened to bump into Mister Honda and told me he met you before I got there."

Sakura adjusted her wrist guards, the same ones she picked up from her house earlier, "I saw it you know." She looked sad, dejected as she started to recount what she saw after passing by the arcade, "I never saw you look so happy… never saw you laugh either."

He never gave her a chance like that but Chun Li came out of nowhere and she got a fucking date. She was right there with him as they ran down the street like children, laughing as she held hands like that were married or some shit. It made her so angry that she can't even remember where she ran after seeing such a sight.

"I can't explain it…" Sakura could feel her hate growing, spreading like an infection inside her, "I can't even tell you how much I wanted to hurt you. If messing with Akuma didn't me so tired then-"

"Sakura…" Chun Li, confused by the way she was talking, stepped towards her, "What are you trying to say?"

"What do you think I mean?" Sakura glared at her, she was the same bitch that she always was, "What the fuck does it sound like I mean?"

Chun Li matched her glare with one of her own, "Don't be stupid! Can't you-" She cut herself off, calming down as she reminded herself the girl in front of her was someone she knew, "Look Sakura… Ryu and I are just friends the same way me and you are-"

"Don't." Sakura said simply, taking a stance as she looked at the woman in front of her, "Don't ever call me one of your friends."

"I had a feeling it would come to this but," Chun Li stretched before raising her fist, "I won't hurt you too much."

Before he could even try to stop them, the fight started.

It was sad that such a beautiful place had to play host to a fight, the blood that was already spilled tainting it like a stain. Under the peaceful light of the moon, both of them went into motion.

Chun Li, like always, fought with unmatched grace and balance but, in turn, Sakura used a fighting style that incorporated nothing but raw power. It was the same way he fought, all of his moves something that she used for herself. Sakura quickly weaved her way through the kicks that constantly assaulted her but it only made Chun Li go faster. Wisely, the girl jumped to avoid the torrent of kicks but it was still a grave mistake.

Chun Li sprung off the ground, a series of kicks landing exactly where she wanted them to strike. Sakura fell on the grass with the air knocked out of her and her opponent said nothing as she started to cough in a lacking effort to breathe again.

The fact that she got hit was more devastating than a taunt but it had to be her that landed the blow. Sakura couldn't recall being more angry in her entire life, the aura around her expanding as she glared at the older woman.

"Sakura…" Chun Li stood unwavering, refusing to falter under her scrutiny, "Let's just sit down somewhere and talk about this okay? We can clear all of this up if you give us a chance."

Ryu was about to voice that he agreed until the schoolgirl wasted no time throwing a kick in her direction. Chun Li ducked just in time to avoid the attack, Sakura's foot slicing through the air directly above her head. The hair ornaments that kept her hair in place fell to the ground, her hair draping down and covering her shoulders like a blanket of silk as she countered with a sweep.

Sakura jump backwards to dodge it before charging forward, her elbow raised to deliver the first blow of a move that was used on her before. Like a deer in headlights, the agent couldn't move... all she could do was watch as Sakura rushed towards her.

The move connected and the contents of a duffle bag scattered all across the grass. Ryu, thankful that Chun Li brought his bag with her, lowered his arm as he ran towards them, "Stop!"

"So that's how it is?" Sakura spat out bitterly, "I can fucking get kicked by a woman strong enough to kick through metal but you step in before-"

"You..." He started as he stepped between her and Chun Li. He didn't want to admit it even to himself but his raging blood alone told him that she was planning to do more than just exchange blows, "You were going to kill her."

"I was but you'll do just fine…"

"Sakura what do you want me to do?" Ryu pleaded, he would do anything to stop this madness, "Please just tell me what you want…"

That was easy to answer.

"You must have forgot," She looked him in the eyes as she spoke, careful to say it slow enough from him to understand, "I want you to die."

So that was what she wanted.

"Kill me then…" Ryu spread his arms, "Just please leave her alone."

"W-Wha…" Chun Li woke from her daze because of his words, blinking as she realized that she never got hit. It was one thing to try to help but dying was out of the question. Heartache was heartache but it was no reason to kill someone, "I… I can't let that happen."

She moved to get from behind him but she tripped, clutching Ryu as she fell. He took his eyes away from Sakura and helped her but something was wrong. She didn't get hit but she felt exhausted, she was so tired… This was the same way she felt when she saw Akuma once. That aura, that bloodlust seemed to soak in everything around it. You had to make a conscious effort not to get influenced by it.

"Don't ignore me!!"

"Do what you can to get away," Ryu said as he held her, knowing fully well what was wrong, "Please…" He added as he turned around. Trusting him, Chun Li slowly started to walk off into the distance and Sakura, at the peak of her anger, marched towards him with hate in her eyes.

The girl watched the woman barely make her way through the bushes. She allowed her to leave only because of something she decided on when she first learned how to manipulate her new power, "I want you to see this…" Sakura whispered as she started to gather energy in her hand, "This is only for you."

He was mistaken, it wasn't energy but a flame albeit a small one but it slowly started to grow. It raged, the lavender fire spreading up her arm as she looked up at him. In spite of the circumstances he was amazed as it flared, its beauty unmatched as she swiped her hand down and extinguished it.

It seemed like she calmed down now that Chun Li was gone, "Saku-"

She punched him hard enough to knock him off his feet, the pillar of purple flames that shot up into the night a testament to how much of herself she retained just for him. The same beautiful flames he admired seared his chest and burned the grass around him but she didn't care about anything like that.

Ryu flew through the air until he landed on the ground, rolling to a stop in front of Vega. He grabbed onto the tree his head was stuck in and tried to pull himself up. He failed, falling back to the ground thanks to how much his chest hurt.

Sakura grasped the ends of his headband and lifted his head off the ground, "I love you." She honestly said as she released his most valued possession, his face falling back into the grass as he sought to get up.

She loved him so much.

The schoolgirl kicked him in his side causing him to roll over and she stomped on him. The soles of her shoes dirtied his tee shirt, dirt and footprints covering most of the white. He was hurt now but still not nearly as much as she was… She dropped her knee in his stomach before getting on top of him, straggling him by the waist before she raised her fist again.

Sakura withheld her deathblow and instead looked at the man under her. He was in pain but he didn't dare let out even so much as a groan as he looked away from her. He didn't try to defend himself or stop her from razing him with the same flames that would surely scold her hand.

He didn't understand.

She hated him but that was only because she loved him so much. She wasn't trying to kill him because of that though. He was going to die because he was just that dear to her but, before that, she would baptize him in a fire of her own making.

Sakura punched him, his head snapping to the side as she started to hit him again and again. The moon and the trees were witness to the one sided fight, the only sound in the park the brutal impact of fist meeting face.

It was a far cry from the weak punches she threw at him yesterday but, strangely, they hurt just the same. Ryu looked up at her senseless and she slapped away the hands he instinctively held up to defend himself, it was too late for things like that now.

The ruby headband he wore was no long the only red on his face as she stopped hitting him to catch her breath. In the back of her mind, she knew this was wrong… she knew that this wasn't what she wanted.

She knew this was murder.

It would continue nonetheless, she wouldn't and couldn't stop now. She was violence incarnate, the rage she felt before something that only fueled her to desire to hand out pain. The flames that erupted from her fist wouldn't discriminate after she killed him, even normal people would be annihilated by the same fire that was going to consume all.

Limitless meant more than just not having limits. She knew that it was impossible to go back to how she was before, she was passed the line she shouldn't have crossed and she paid for the power she had with the life she used to live.

"Tell me…" Sakura lowered her fist and grasped his shirt to pull his face up closer to hers, "Tell me the truth."

Before she descended into mindless slaughter, she had to know that much. Why did he treat her like this? What did she do to deserve this? Why did Chun Li come first? Did he think she was ugly? Was it really about her age? Did he hate her?

There were so many questions she wanted answer but all she needed was the truth.

"I love you too…" Ryu said, his body once again meeting the ground as she released him. There it was. He said it but nothing changed… He didn't start smiling or anything even close to that and she didn't magically feel better the moment she heard it.

On the contrary, she felt worse.

How did things end up like this if they felt the same way about each other? She looked down at the man who looked back up at her and the answer was obvious. He loved her but he just didn't want to be with her.

There could be any number of reasons why but the fact remained…

He just didn't want to be with her.

Sakura got off of him and stood up, dusting herself off as she came to a logical conclusion. If he figured dying was okay but being with her was something he just couldn't do then she would just have to give him something worse than death.

She looked around, the carnage she left in her wake still present. Shadowloo members still covered the ground and Vega was still knocked out. They were lucky, if they woke they would be burned as well.

Out the corner of her eye she spotted something she lost, the long white stripe of fabric stole her attention. Ryu coughed, gasping for air as he finally stood up… He must have figured out what she was planning.

Sakura walked away from him and picked up her headband, "You brought this with you huh?"

He was straining already but he could manage a nod. He meant to leave it with her wrist guards but instead must have stuffed it in his bag, the headband falling out with everything else when he used it to protect Chun Li.

"You know what I'm going to do?" She asked sweetly, the white strip of cloth starting to burn as she spoke. She released her beloved headband and it was caught in the breeze, burning until it no longer existed.

She must have learned it from Akuma…

For the first time, Ryu seriously raised his fist.

"Don't…"

It was all he could say, trailing off as she Sakura looked at him. He could tell she was hurt again but it was for her own sake. He was a fool for letting it go this far but he had to end it while he still could.

"I don't know if I can do it right yet but I'll try it on you…" She stood before him, miserable and glad at the same time, brimming with a mix of hate and love so great that she couldn't tell the difference between them, "I'm going to drag you into Hell."

"I'm sorry."

She smiled at him, his apology unaccepted as the flames on her arms died out. Words wouldn't do now. She was miffed when he stood up against her but he was in no condition to fight much less stop what was going to happen now.

Ryu watched as she gathered energy for Akuma's strongest attack, something he wouldn't be able to withstand even if he was at the peak of his fighting ability. Regardless of that, he had no choice but to stop her lest she end up killing herself by doing the move.

For one or possibly even both of them, the long night was going to be short.

Continued

Author's Note: Man, I laid it down kind of corny… ;-; I should slap myself a bit but it's all good since the story is finished I suppose. Let's finally get to the way overdue final chapter!


	5. Part Five

Her

Final Chapter

"Thank you for coming…"

The elderly man gripped his cane and made his exit as Chun Li bowed. She was thankful that anyone even bothered to make a house visit at such an hour but, more than that, she was relieved things weren't as bad as they looked. With that, she closed the door behind him and looked at the man who rested on the only bed in the room.

"I didn't…" Ryu coughed before turning in her direction, bandages and gauze replacing the dirty tee shirt he once wore, "I didn't get a chance to thank him properly."

"Don't be silly," Chun Li made her way to the bed and plumped down beside him, "I thanked him for you and I paid him with your money. You should be trying to go back to sleep."

He looked in the direction her voice was coming from, "How long have you been awake?"

"Not too long," She lied as she brought the washcloth she held to his face.

Ryu stilled her hand with his own, his brown eyes staring directly at her as he softly pushed the damp rag away from his face, "I'm okay…" He said softly, "You don't have to tend to me."

She ignored his attempts to stop her and did it anyway. The rag scrubbed against his face the same way it did on various parts of his body before the doctor arrived, lifting the dirt and grim left on his skin. Neither said anything as she continued, both of them knowing he definitely needed all the help he could get at the moment.

"You're blind," Chun Li said harshly, somewhat angry that he tried to stop her, "I'm going to be around until I know you got your eyesight back… and you better not be lying about that."

"It's only temporary…" Ryu said, his voice small as she finally finished.

He couldn't see anything at all, his entire being submerged in a world of nothing. Even though this was something he experienced before, it still scared him but waking up like this was better than not waking up at all.

"Thanks for getting my stuff from the park." He sat up, pressing his back into the headboard of the bed as he spoke, "I know it was a lot to-"

"Don't change the subject." She tossed the rag to the side and moved closer to him, "I want to know exactly what happened and I want to know now."

Chun Li was serious now, the things that happened not only interfering with her personal life but her police work. The remains of Shadowloo were single-handily destroyed by a girl just because they got in the way of her ultimate revenge. Vega was lucky to be alive, him and a majority of his lackeys still in intensive care but she didn't care about that. What made her angry wasn't that a mere schoolgirl took out the man that left her with this horrendous scar but the fact that her vendetta was so shallow.

She wanted to kill him because he properly refused her? That was crazy but if a broken heart was enough to make her snap then something was already wrong with her. If she had actually murdered him though then she would have had more than her sanity to worry about though.

"I told you to run but I don't remember much after that." He looked up in thought even though he couldn't actually see anything, "I know I saw Hell again though…"

She balked, visually paling at the thought. Her eyes widened as she advanced on him, gripping his shoulders with her hands as she stared down at him, "What do you mean you saw Hell?" She asked frantically not even wanting to acknowledge it was a place he saw more than once.

He meant what he said.

Ryu sat up, her barrage of worried questions falling just like her hands from his frame, "That move… It's something she learned from Akuma but she wasn't using it the same way he does." He felt around just enough to get his bearing before gently hopping off the bed, "She definitely used it the wrong way."

Chun Li didn't bother asking how or even why but she was pissed now. Her composure was something she was proud she kept in check but she didn't care anymore, Sakura was going to get what was coming to her even if she had to search every inch of the city.

"I have to help her."

Two solid convictions clashed. Meeting each other like dull blades and, like most things outside of fighting, he was all but oblivious to it. Chun Li narrowed her eyes at him, a severe expression he couldn't see but felt.

"I thought it was cute at first but you are misunderstanding something…" She raised her fist, her dark brown eyes holding no sympathy for someone so ignorant, "I got all the help she needs right here."

He wasn't shocked that she felt that way given what happened and the tone of her voice indicated how she felt about the schoolgirl, "Chun Li, it's not her-"

"I swear to God if you say it's not her fault then we'll be fighting."

"It's not her fault."

Her feelings as a woman, an officer, and a friend all arrived at the line that was the limit of what she could tolerate and passed it. At the peak of her frustration, she shook with rage and he could feel her anger from the other side of the room.

Something in the back of his mind told him not to say it but he did and now he was in a situation more dangerous than the one he was in last night. Chun Li didn't at all have the kind of strength Sakura currently possessed but no one was a better tactician than her.

Street fights, contrary to what most thought, were actually a contest of skill. While they did usually just so happen to meet and engage in a fight, it was always just to see who was better. Fighting to prove a point didn't have a place in such a thing but that was exactly what she wanted him to do.

It was okay though, he was already a hypocrite.

"It's not her fault." He repeated, testing not only the woman in front of him but also himself. Chun Li bubbled over with anger, the fact that he would even move his mouth to say something like that making it evident that perhaps she really would have to knock some sense into him.

She never felt so frustrated in her entire life.

Chun Li openly stared at him, shaking as thoughts of crushing Sakura poured into her mind. Again, he looked too vulnerable. The strongest street fighter in the world reduced to a broken spirit, the hands he blindly reached out to get his bearing only making him look so much smaller.

Hitting him?

She couldn't even believe in her own threats. What he needed wasn't another fight. For possibly the first time in a while, he needed someone else and… she was the only person here.

Contact was made but not in the way he expected. His caretaker hugged him, her slim arms taking hold of his frame as she pulled him as close to her as she could, "Sometimes I really hate you."

"I'm sorry."

His apology was dismissed, both unheeded as she resolved their differences in the most intimate of ways. He relaxed in her embrace and she took care to be gentle with the exhausted man in her grasp.

"Do you really love her that much?"

"I do."

"Hmm," Her arms tightened around him just a bit, "Do you love her more than me?"

She couldn't see his expression but she could sense his shock as she rested her head on his shoulder. It wasn't a question she shouldn't have asked and, more importantly, one he didn't have to answer.

A small part of her just wanted to hear him say it, hear him confirm that she lost to such a petty little girl because if he didn't…

"I…" His conviction wavered, "I don't know."

She wouldn't let him go.

0

The sun was too bright and the sky was too blue.

"No luck." The hapless schoolgirl whispered as she wandered the streets. Why was this day just like any other day? No, why was it even more ravishing… even more precious than it normally was?

Sakura looked up, frowning as she realized there was not a cloud in sight. There were supposed to be clouds so dark and wide that it looked like a charcoal dome replaced the sky, the only break in the darkness being the white fury of lightning.

Instead of walking under the sun, she should have been taking shelter from a downpour so intense she wouldn't be able to see in front of her. Yes, if it rained that hard then at no one could tell she had any tears left to waste.

With a scan of the lonely street ahead she figured that was something she didn't have to worry about seeing that this place was as barren as a desert. In fact, the only thing that made this place even remotely feel like it was a part of the world was the sound of her own footsteps. She glanced around as she walked, catching the sight of her reflection thanks to windows of a department store.

She looked like shit.

Sakura smirked at the image, the crestfallen girl looking back at her one who honestly felt far worse than she looked. The girl in the window responded in kind, the smirk terribly out of place in regard to the bruise on her face. Reminded, she reached a hesitant hand up to touch it and quickly snatched them back as she became just a little bit more aware that it still hurt.

He hit her.

The girl tenderly touched the bruise again, wincing as her fingertips came into contact with it. She could remember arriving at the height of her madness and, surprisingly, he met her there. For just a few seconds, they were beyond just mere murder and could only be content with erasing each other from this plane of existence.

Before she could even mount her attack, he wasted no time taking the opportunity shock presented to him. Looking back on it, it was a wonder her neck didn't just snap off when his fist made friends with her face.

Sakura closed her eyes as she walked away, a small smile appearing as the memory was refreshed in her mind. Upon opening them, she noticed a bench outside one of the stores and decided to take a seat.

"Ah…"

In the back of her mind she recalled this was the first time she rested in days. That would explain why it felt so good to sit down on such an uncomfortable bench. Even though this pretty day was meant to be gloomy, she was a little glad that the sunlight made her feel warm.

The radiance from an unwanted sun rained down on her like tears from the sky so, in spite of how cold she felt, she scooted to the side and rested in the shade. She was still tired though, too tired to get up now that she sat down as a matter of fact.

Why did everything feel so serene, so quiet on a day like this?

Sakura held out her hand and a small flame danced in her palm before being extinguished by the autumn wind. The breeze continued, her short brown locks and uniform caught in it just like the leaves that twisted in the updraft.

She idly watched the birds dotter on the ground and interrupted them by tossing a pebble she picked up off the bench. They all panicked and scattered, one of them even spreading his winds for flight. With a few flaps, it was airborne. Flying against the wind and soaring higher and higher until it was embraced by the sky. On a day like this, that bird wasn't supposed to fly… It was supposed to be on the ground, walking around randomly pecking in hopes of finding that crumb it would never come across.

"Nothing is going right today." Sakura thought out loud, empty eyes scanning the streets for anyone rash enough to approach her. She watched the bird fly away with jaded eyes, "Nothing at all…"

She wished she could just fly away like that, sprout wings and go somewhere she wanted to go but she didn't have anywhere she wanted to be. If it was up to her, she was perfectly fine with just sitting here and fading into obscurity. Yes, let her blend in with the masses when rush hour arrived just so she could lose this painful identify and become more of the nobody she already was.

Anything was better than being like this.

Anything was better than being Sakura Kasugano right now.

The schoolgirl touched her hair, the bangs in front of eyes a pretty shade of shit. Oh how she wished so many times that it had the kind of luster that demanded attention from boys and girls alike but she had a stupid haircut anyway so it didn't matter.

She honestly thought smooth skin was a myth, something they only faked in commercials to make people buy products but some of the girls she saw almost looked like dolls. They didn't have anything like bruises and their skin was indeed flawless, even perfect compared to hers.

Sakura looked down at her school uniform, her hazel eyes stopping on the blue pleated skirt. This was the closest she came to wearing anything… like this. Even her best friends tried to make her wear something more revealing, stuff other girls her age like to wear but why would she do that when tee shirts and jeans were easily her clothing of choice when she wasn't at school?

Frankly, she wasn't attractive by anyone's standards so how was she supposed to match up to grown women? Ha, was she supposed to surprise him with her amazingly engaging personality?

Self realization hurt but she wanted to hurt lest she wouldn't feel alive anymore. That's why, even though the purple spot on her face hurt by just knowing it was there, she was glad she had it.

She was glad he seriously hit her but, at the same time, it saddened her.

There was no place for morality in a fight; the nonsense that women shouldn't be hit was discarded way before the fight started. Anyone brave enough abandoned those crutches given to them by society and stood up to the challenge but…

Sakura shivered as she remembered stumbling to the ground, faltering in her grand moment of weakness. She could remember holding both of her hands over her face, fresh tears spilling out of her eyes as she was certain her face was broken.

Even though that wasn't the case, her face felt like it was shattered as Ryu stepped out of her flames and loomed over her with intent to give her more than just a single punch. Sakura spat out a tooth, the stinging red on her cheek painfully throbbing as she tried to get back up.

The eyes that watched her struggle belonged to the man she invited to Hell, the same man that stood in that torrent of fire destined to send him there. He avoided the skill with ease, his clothes seared but the fire behind him didn't at all compare to the one in his eyes.

She managed to get back up but she was too dizzy to move, much less walk and he gave her ample time to realize that he was serious now. He was breathing hard but the way he looked at her made her feel more than small.

He wasn't looking at her in the first place, he was looking at something far off into the distance. He was looking at his future, the places he was destined to go and the people he was fated to meet. This wouldn't be his last fight and this little girl wouldn't mark his end.

Ryu slowly took in every shallow breath, his frame expanding and contracting with every one but the wild look in the depths of his eyes remained unstirred. For his dreams, he would hit her again and he would beat her to be even just that much closer to reaching the goals that waited for him.

His dreams were more important than her.

Ryu stood straight up, his eyes wide open as he raised his fist and prepared himself for any and everything. He would show her the skills she wanted so hard to master. He would show her the style she mimicked in all of its rightful glory. He would acknowledge her as his equal and crush her with respect. He would destroy with absolute indifference to who she was and her relationship to him.

That image stabbed her in the eyes.

What happened to relenting? What happened to him giving up?

Not even a few minutes ago, he peacefully agreed to let her kill him but now he was ready to beat the shit out of her. He was supposed to be amazed by her new power, not only awestruck but happy that she came just that much closer to being like him. She didn't want to seriously fight him.

Those eyes stared at her in complete concentration. Why was he looking at her like she was his enemy? She was on his side! All she wanted was for him to have a reason to look at her but, now, his eyes were set on something so far away that the only thing he saw in front of him was a nameless challenger.

In front of those eyes she shed her half truths and sought to say something to make him understand but it was far too late for words when both of them were already waiting on action.

So she ran.

She ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore and even then she walked. She walked for hours until she couldn't walk anymore and that's when she found herself here, a place that was as far away from the park as she could get with her own two feet.

Sakura causally wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she leaned back but, upon opening her eyes, she noticed something was obstructing her view of the sky.

"Girl… No, Kasugano," He corrected himself and properly addressed her, "Are you prepared?"

Akuma felt like a giant from her perspective, a being too large to just suddenly appear but he did indeed come out of nowhere and was obviously asking for the fight she had already gave him.

"W-We already fought though…" She swallowed hard before speaking again, "I won! I knocked you out."

Because of her strength, he would excuse her stupidity but he had to inform her lest she hold onto such fallacy forever. Akuma bent at the waist, the crimson eyes surely ones that belonged to a demon as he lowered his head until they were face to face.

Her words were laughable but he never laughed, instead his face kept a permanent grimace but her naiveté amused him to no end. She thought she beat him, she thought fights were over when the opponent was unconscious… Cute thoughts like that didn't belong in their world even if she was merely a young girl.

"If you intend to destroy, destroy completely. If you want victory, then leave no chance for defeat." He straightened his back but his eyes never left the schoolgirl, "If you want to fight, then ensure your adversary is reduced to nothingness in all meanings of the word."

She understood but…

"I'm sorry." Already tired, she found the strength to stand, "I really don't feel like fighting anymore."

His aura flared, her eyes widening as it seemed like the monster before her was on fire. A deep crimson surrounded him, the murderous intent that seeped into his philosophy magnified by his spirit.

It meant that she didn't have a choice.

She was intimidated but, deep down, she really didn't care anymore.

He could kill her if he wanted to.

Akuma turned, his attention divided as he looked down the street and saw one of the only people in the whole world capable of being considered a rival. Sakura followed his line of sight and saw him…

Ryu slowly approached, a slight limp in his gait as he made his way closer to the dangerous pair. He was obviously wearing a different shirt but his jeans, she noted, were still somewhat dirty thanks to her encounter with him. Another autumn breeze arrived and met his clothes, the loose shirt caught in the wind much like the ends of his trademark headband but his clothes wasn't what made her heart flutter.

His eyes were transfixed on her.

Brown eyes looked at no one other than her.

She forgot about Akuma and smiled in spite of herself. Just that much made her happy, just that much made her remember childish dreams of going on a date with him or taking him to the carnival.

He didn't know, he had no idea how she yearned to be sole object of his interest so just having him look at her like that made her feel like he loved her as opposed to just saying that he did.

"Akuma please…" Ryu started, pleading as he edged closer and closer to Sakura, "Don't hurt her anymore. I swear I'll fight you whenever you want… Just don't hurt her anymore."

His words meant little to him.

He forgot about the schoolgirl and chuckled, actually laughing in spite of himself. He had an agenda all along, this chain of events were something he carefully orchestrated for this single moment. From feeling that strong current of negativity that the girl contained all the way to making sure he released enough energy for Ryu to track him down.

He didn't have any idea, he couldn't even comprehend how long he had waited for this moment so for it to finally arrive gave him a slight feeling of elation. He would play with them. He would pull their strings just a bit more. Akuma's low grin became a smirk.

"I hurt her?" The demon raised an eyebrow, "What about you?"

"I made mistakes! I admit that but you are just looking for a fight!" Ryu yelled, stopping only a few feet from the bench they stood in front of, "I had a feeling that you were behind this but I'm begging you. Please… Just let her go home."

"I'm not talking about minor transgressions between this woman and you. I am talking about an injustice." The humor was gone, his misconception was one too great not to be corrected, "You have misunderstood. That which you call hurt is only found in not having someone to test yourself against, it is etched in the man who has no one to fight! This…"

He suddenly reached and grabbed Sakura's head with a single hand and, without warning, slammed it down into the sidewalk, chucks of it breaking up as her skull made a definite impact. She made a meaningless sound as the pain caused her eyes to roll in the back of her head but she passed out easily enough.

"…doesn't hurt."

Instantly he could feel it, surging hate violently swirled around Ryu and he loved the way it made him feel. Ryu stared at him like an animal, the piecing glance of a monster that was threatened. Those wide brown eyes couldn't at all hold back the torrent of pain he was going to inflict.

Kill.

He was going to fucking put that bastard in a grave.

Destroy.

He was going to break him into so many pieces that flees would eat what remained.

Murder.

He wished that he had family just so he could stuff bodies in the same garbage can he was going to dump him in.

Akuma smirked, his plan was working better than he thought. That whirlwind of hate was something that caught his lingering, stunned emotions and pointed them in the direction of violence. Ryu was more than ready to kill him and he was certainly capable.

"I'm…" Ryu held his head in his hands, unable to get a grip on his real self as his rage erupted like a volcano. He looked up and peeked at the murderer with naked hate, the kind of feeling reserved for only the worst transgressions, "I'm going to kill you… I swear to God I'm going to kill you."

He was supposed to do it a long time ago.

This monster killed his master.

The only reason he didn't go after him was solely because he didn't want to kill someone. These street fights were just, like he always thought, small scale competitions but Akuma held an opinion so different it was almost perverse. A fight wasn't real unless someone died? Nonsense! If he believed that then what was he doing? Playing with people every other day? He didn't have to murder someone to gauge his skill.

It was alright though.

"I'm going to kill you." Ryu repeated, his aura tainted with malice as resigned to the fact that he was going to remove this man from the world using any means necessary.

He wouldn't think about useless things. All he had to think about was how to completely and utterly crush the man in front of him.

The first part of the fight was already complete, they already knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. That was perfect. Akuma was all too anxious to get started, so wasting time was something that couldn't be tolerated. The demon moved, rushing forward to start the fight his very soul begged for and…

She grabbed his ankle.

For someone… For anyone to interrupt this fight was a crime punishable by death. Shock didn't even register on his features as crimson eyes burned into Sakura's head but she didn't let go.

She was still face down in the crater Akuma made in the sidewalk using her head but she didn't need to see. As long as she could distract him, hold him back for just this long then maybe…. Just maybe Ryu would be able to realize that he was being used.

Sakura tried to say something but all that came out was a gurgle, the blood that spilled out of her mouth not at all helping the effort but Akuma had little care for anything she had to voice.

"…are…" The schoolgirl lifted her head, her hair matted down thanks to fresh blood, "You… pathetic."

A beautiful grin.

The fist that would destroy it.

He would protect her.

Just like before, an attack he saw so many times before was something he couldn't evade. He was eclipsed by light, the ball of energy making an impact on his entire body at the same time. Ryu watched as he lit up the street in the day time, the shimmering blue glow slowly dying down to expose someone lying in the middle of the street.

Even with the strength of the attack, Ryu knew that Akuma wasn't finished just yet but there were more important things to worry about, "Sakura…"

"I'm… alright." She spat out the blood so it would be easier to speak but moving hurt too much so she just rested her head back in the blood it was laying in before, "I'm not going to die or-"

"Don't say something like that!" Ryu exploded as he kneeled down beside her. Frustrated feelings revealed as he grabbed her, snatching her away from the ground and into his arms so fast that she didn't have time to notice that it hurt, "You don't have to pretend you're not hurt…"

He was frantic, his eyes growing misty as he held her closer than he ever did before even though the threat of Akuma loomed over them. His feelings were obvious, exposed to the world and she had a front seat. This much was all she wanted in the first place. Knowing that he loved her was one thing but actually experiencing it was something that made her feel whole again.

"I know I'm just a kid…"

An admission to herself that was obvious to any onlooker. She wasn't an adult, nothing close to being a grown woman. As a matter of fact, she thought of herself as being mature when this whole affair sprouted from childish desire.

"I…"

No… She was blacking out and she knew he was going to be gone when she woke up. This was probably the last time he would even allow her to see him in person but she couldn't hold onto her consciousness long enough to convey what she really wanted all along.

So she clung to him with all the strength she could muster. Her hands tightly grasped fistfuls of his shirt, clutching it as she branded the feeling on her mind. She felt him slipping out of her grasp as he stood to face the man he saved her from once before.

0

"…not be lying…"

"I'm really alright. I'm just glad that- Hey! W-What was that for!?"

"Don't sound so surprised to get plucked in the forehead! If it annoys you that much then I should do it every time you do something stupid."

She cracked open an eye.

"You're still mad?" Ryu hastily rubbed a sore spot on his forehead but smiled nonetheless, "If I didn't point you in the wrong direction then I know you would have tried to help me. I'm just tired of people getting hurt in my place…"

The tone of his voice reflected that well but the look in his eyes was all it took for her to see how much he went through these last few days but she wasn't the only person that noticed.

"You know," Chun-Li stopped pouting and instead opted to grace him with one of her smiles, "I think it'd be better idea if you got tired of getting hurt for other people."

"Really…" He whispered, leaning a bit too close to her as he spoke, "I'm sorry."

"Hmm?" She responded the same way as she edged even closer. Sakura found her heart had jumped up into her throat as she watched the scene play out in front of her but she didn't dare look away, "It's okay… I won't pluck you this time."

Ryu gave her a small smile before losing his balance and half stumbling into her open arms. He was beyond exhausted, talking alone was enough to make him feel woozy so moving would ultimately make him sick if he wasn't careful.

Chun Li held him upright without complaint. His head rested on her shoulder, tired eyes closed as her simple smile became so much brighter than before. Her long brown hair was free, unbound by the hair ornaments that were as much of a trademark as her spiked bracelets.

Sakura almost sighed…

The way that she was gently holding him seemed so sincere that she couldn't get angry. Instead, a profound sadness touched her as she pretended to still be sleep. In spite of how hard she tried to make him look at her, it was probably the main reason he set his eyes on someone else.

"Akuma… He never tries to finish a fight with me unless he knows I'm trying to kill him." Ryu slipped out of her grasp and stepped backwards, the distance between them meaning something as he turned around. "I'm kind of glad I fought him off again but I have to leave before he starts looking for me."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

He looked over his shoulder and shook his head, "You already helped me too much already. I can't-"

"Sometimes you're really hopeless." Chun Li sighed, lacing her fingers behind her head as she looked up at the sky, "All you have to say is that you're lonely and I'll walk with you."

He blinked, "Huh…?"

"It's cute that you're willing to wait for her but, really, is she worth the trouble?" Brown eyes never left the puffs of white that drifted across the sky, "If you think so don't let me stop you but don't forget the people that care about… No," She corrected herself as her sights fell on the man before her, "Don't forget about the people that love you."

They made eye contact and their feelings couldn't be louder than they were now. She looked directly at him without saying anything until he adverted his eyes away from her heart, "I won't."

With that he walked away and she watched, the duffle bag he left in her hotel room probably something he wouldn't even return to get. Once he was out of sight, she sighed and took a seat on the bench besides the resting schoolgirl.

"Hmm, we have some things to talk about…"

It wasn't surprising that she knew she was awake.

"Like what?" Sakura muttered, her interest in the woman little to none.

"Hmm, I don't know…" The older of the two looked around pretending to think about a topic until she finally decided to stop playing with her, "Probably about everything you've done up till now."

The schoolgirl slumped, frowning as she forced herself to stand up again, "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Ha," Chun Li scoffed, "You're going to run away?"

"Running away?" Sakura narrowed her eyes, "I just don't like you."

"And you think someone would like a selfish little girl?" Chun Li shrugged, her long hair moving with the motion, "Sure, you did some work for me when you put Vega in intensive care but do must have forgot about the people you hurt by acting this way."

"You… You're the reason that everything happened like this!" Sakura tore off the bandages neatly wrapped around her forehead and threw them away. The commotion she caused made people stop to look at the pair but she didn't care about that in the slightest, "I'm selfish? Nothing is wrong with being selfish when you just want to be happy!!"

"You're stupid," She was blunt, more than she had ever been in her life, "You, not me, were so obsessed with someone that you wanted to kill him and, at the same time, you were so pathetic that one punch was all it took to knock you out of your delusion."

This time Chun Li stood to look down at Sakura and paid no attention to the crowd gathering around them, "The reason I respected you wasn't because you were strong. It was because you were true to yourself despite not being one of the strongest among us but I never thought someone could be so weak to fall prey to their own ambitions."

That…

That made her feel lower than she had ever felt before.

Sakura clutched her heart like she got stabbed in it, her eyes staring at the ground as the spectators suddenly got eerily quiet. What Chun Li said was right and, more importantly, it was the truth. She was stupid, weak, pathetic, petty, violent, and selfish but she was still herself. She was still the same person that just wanted to be close to the only person in the world she felt special being with.

Silence…

The sound of people shuffling away took the place of their words as the crowd slowly started to dissipate, the promise of drama gone as the schoolgirl promptly shut up. Everyone started to leave, even the sun edging closer to the horizon as the two stood their ground. Chun Li briefly took her eyes away from the girl with every intention to apologize until she spoke.

"It isn't fair."

"What?"

"You know, he used your name just to put distance between us… He was scared of me but he was so friendly with you." Sakura turned her back, unable to look her antagonist in the face, "I don't understand what makes you so much better than me? What is wrong with me? Please tell me why he doesn't like me as much as he likes you…"

"Sakura…"

"He knows how strong my feelings are. He even acknowledged them but he avoids me, he pretends I'm not important to him when I know I am!" She furiously wiped her eyes with her arm, "I didn't even know he was in Japan. I never planned for all this to happen… I just got frustrated like I always do when he pretends to be ignorant."

"I…" Chun Li sighed, "I was really going to beat you up you know. I was seriously planning to but, even though I can't deny I've been fighting most of my life, violence doesn't really solve anything. You can't settle differences with your fists and you especially can't make someone love you with them Sakura."

"It took a while for me to realize it but you never meant to really hurt anyone right?" She continued as she neared the younger girl, "You just made a mistake. You'll still alive, no one is dead, and accepted that you did wrong. All you can really do is just learn and move on."

Sakura nodded as she turned and started walking away, "I guess so…"

"Oh? You're not going chase after him?"

She said without turning around, "There's nothing I can do if he doesn't want to talk to me anymore..."

There wasn't any reason to go after him now, she was going home. Everything she did amounted to nothing and empty eyes looked down the road as she considered just going straight to the house and locking herself in her room.

"You know you're going the wrong way."

"Huh?"

"Go and get him Sakura." Chun Li placed caring hands on the young girl's shoulders, "Even if you two live in different worlds, just show him that doesn't mean that you two can't see each other."

"I thought you…" Sakura paused, surprised as the older woman gave her a gentle push forward, "I mean don't you-

"I do but, then again, I'm not the person he thinks about all the time am I?"

"Why?" She looked over her shoulder at Chun Li who only stood there with a supporting smile, "You know I can't do it, I can't make him listen to me…"

"How about you just listen to him a little bit more and, if that doesn't work, just hug him. He's really just a big baby after all."

Sakura knew it wouldn't work, if all her efforts thus far failed to this extent then what could she possibly do now but there was something about Chun Li's actions that made her remember well.

Just like the woman who urged her forward, Ryu was her friend before anything else. While she thought of him as something far more than that, he was still one of her friends and what Chun Li was trying to promote wasn't only a faltering relationship but a friendship as well.

Yes, she could at least have the courage to properly say goodbye. She had to apologize before she missed the chance provided to her. If she didn't do at least this much, her chance of being strong enough to step into the real world of fighting that he and the others lived in would leave with him.

"Man, so much paperwork to do but at least most of Shadowloo is in custody." Chun Li started walking in the opposite direction, one foot in front of the other as she peacefully took her time and smiled in spite of the things that happened, "I'll see-"

"Wait…"

Sakura raised a hand, slowly returning it to her side as the grown woman spun on her heel. Brown eyes met brown eyes, woman met girl, and a smile met an expression that didn't suit such a beautiful day.

"Stop wasting time Sakura, if you don't hurry-"

"Thank you."

The schoolgirl bowed, her pretty eyes hidden as she made sure to show her gratitude. Chun Li was never her antagonist in any sense of the word. It was because she was here that things escalated but, at the same time, she surely prevented the worst from occurring.

The woman waved it off with a hand, her smile something she retained as she promptly turned and started walking. She was leaving, her words were both a goodbye and a parting gift left with the girl who fully accepted them.

Precious time was ticking away as she too took her leave. Sakura tried to smile as she walked. She tried to find even a little bit of hope in herself but she couldn't do that either. There was no doubt that he was gone by now though. How did she even expect to catch up with him?

Even though she didn't stop walking, she had already given up.

"S-Sakura!?"

She almost had a heart attack as he suddenly appeared before her.

Ryu was out of breath, tired to the point where he had to stop to catch his breath. He obviously wasted no time trying to catch Chun Li and she could only assume that he left something important with her, "You just missed Chun-"

"No," He quickly waved a hand in denial, "I… I wanted to say goodbye the right way. I couldn't leave if I didn't do that much."

"You saved me you know." Sakura looked down at the sidewalk, being careful not to make eye contact with him. She never did thank him, she never showed him how thankful she was when he came to her rescue at the risk of more than just his life, "Twice…"

"When I can sense him it usually means he's up to no good... You don't have to thank me or anything Sakura. I'm just glad I could help."

That was it.

Both of them stood in place ultimately waiting for him to say the words that was a prelude to his parting but he didn't. He waited for her to say something, anything she wanted to say and he would listen like he always did.

This was her chance, the one she wanted… the one Chun Li specifically told her to take. What was she supposed to say? Things he already knew? The goodbye she desperately didn't want to give him?

"Ha," Sakura realized she was being silly. She knew what she wanted and needed to say the whole time, "I'm really glad you know I didn't miss you… I wanted to say goodbye and that I love you a lot."

Naturally, he reacted just like she expected him to.

Ryu quickly adverted his eyes and turned away before she caught sight of his blush. He was elated that no bad feelings remained between them, the change in his body language enough to prove that just this much made him happy.

"Hey," Her head snapped up, the knot in her throat becoming impossibly tight as he stepped towards her with hope etched in his eyes. He managed a smile as he extended a hand solely for her.

"Um… Do you want to walk with me to the airport?"

He was nervous, his real feelings were open to her again and she looked at the hand that promised things that she knew she didn't deserve. Unknown to him, she knew very much so what that question meant.

Sakura walked passed the hand he held out for no one other than her…

And hugged him.

She buried her head in his chest and cried as she embraced him. Ryu was stunned as she stained his shirt with her tears, the looks people were giving him making his face turn a light shade of pink as he sought to calm her down.

"It's okay…" He whispered softly as he shyly rubbed his hand up and down her back.

How could she accuse him of being ignorant when it wasn't until now that she realized the things he always did for her sake. How long did she miss them, possibly ignore them in hopes of making him see the things she did for him?

"Really, I'm not mad or anything if that's what you think." Ryu managed a smile as she started to calm down, "I'm just glad you're alright…"

With the tears that couldn't stop and the hands that refused to let go, Sakura could only wonder how long she missed the little things.

He set out to stop Akuma and saved her but it was the fact that he never took her to the hospital that she overlooked. In an attempt to hurt him, she threw away the headband she wore to be like him but she never knew he would keep it. He did indeed spend the day with Chun Li but she knew, under all that fun, they were genuinely worried about her.

The reason he hit her was for nothing more than her own sake.

She was trembling, shaking as she sobbed but he allowed her to pour her feelings on him. In all honesty, he would have preferred if they weren't out in the middle of public but it was okay. His smile remained in spite of the dirty looks he got from people that passed by and he let her let it all out.

He could wait till she was finished, the places he had to go and the things he wanted to do was something he could always hold off when it came to Sakura because even if she probably didn't think so right now…

"I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay…" Ryu patted her head, smiling as he sought to make her see that everything was alright, "Really, you don't have to cry."

He would always be there for her.

-Fin

Author's Note: Ah, looks like I finally did it but it's a little lame I could do this much a long time ago no? It's all good though. As long as it's finished I'm cool.

That said thanks for everything everyone. From reviewing to adding me to your favorite's author list (touched ;-;) but seriously I'm glad I finally got this complete. It's just something crazy about looking at what you think is a finished chapter and knowing it's not right.

Big thanks to trutenor, I still remember reading that story way back in the day. Thanks to that person that emailed me asking me to finished the story… five months ago (sorry ;-;). Can't forget to thank you of course for even bothering with my nonsense in the first place.

Back to Evangelion for me.

CF


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